


The Tragedy of Peace

by AnnadeAtzlan



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Canonical Character Death, Childhood Friends, Declarations Of Love, F/F, F/M, First Love, Friendship/Love, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Minor Character Death, Near Death Experiences, Original Character Death(s), Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:27:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 53,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28725849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnadeAtzlan/pseuds/AnnadeAtzlan
Summary: The cycle of the Avatar is anew. Korra's time has passed and Zian is the new Avatar. His biggest problem isn't just keeping the balance and peace of the world, but love. Zian's sacrifices will be commended and written down for the history books, but what about the sacrifices of the people who love and protect the Avatar?
Relationships: Baatar Sr./Suyin Beifong, Bolin/Opal (Avatar), Eska/Huan (Avatar), Jinora/Kai (Avatar), Korra/Asami Sato, Original Male Character/Original Female Character, Pema/Tenzin (Avatar)
Kudos: 6





	1. 205AG

**Author's Note:**

> This story was created to focus less on the Avatar and more on those who surround them. After reading a Tumblr post about Aang's pacifism being a foreign concept to the rest of Team Avatar because violence had become the norm during the Hundred Year War I got this idea. Because we don't know much about the lives of the rest of Team Avatar I wanted to focus more on the next generation's Team Avatar. I don't have the creativity and time to write about Korra and her friends to which they deserve, I started after her.  
> This story largely focuses on one female character which as you read on, is very important although other original and non-original characters are not forgotten. Because I added more characters to an already large number from Legend of Korra, I will mention them and write them as much as possible. If you'd like a character or interaction on a number of characters do not be afraid to comment but be warned this story had been mainly written. I do have a clear goal of how this story should end. So there will not be no abandoning this story on a cliffhanger.  
> I hope everyone enjoys this story. Because I do a bunch a time-skipping, be advised to read chapter titles to understand exactly how much time has passed.

In history, when the Avatar was born to the Earth Nation, it was difficult to find them because the Earth Nation was a large continent with an even larger population. Oftentimes families would claim their child was the Avatar for money and fame. The last Earth Avatar, Kyoshi, was proof of that. Since the days of Avatar Aang, more families have become multicultural. 

More times than not, a member of the Fire Nation would marry a member of the Earth Nation due to the colonization during The Hundred Year War. Avatar Aang, a member of the Air Nation, had his own multicultural family as he married Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. Originally their eldest son Bumi was a non-bender but later gained air bending after Harmonic Convergence. Their only daughter, Kya was a water bender, and the youngest son, Tenzin was born an air bender and for a time, the last air bender as his father once was.

As migration became more common, finding the Avatar was now more difficult than ever. During the time of Avatar Aang, the Order of the White Lotus came out of the shadows to find, protect, and train the next Avatar. Thus ensuring the balance the Avatar provides between the mortal world and the spirit world. The White Lotus searched the world for the next Avatar while a small portion remained in Republic City and vetted the families who claimed their child to be the next Avatar.

It took some seven years before the Avatar was found in the Southern Water Tribe to an earth bending father and non-bending mother whose origins went back to the former Fire Nation colonies during The Hundred Year War. The next Avatar took a while to be discovered as he did not show signs of mastering more than one element. Despite multicultural families being the new normal, they had to look in the Earth Nation first before expanding to the other nations. Even then, members of the White Lotus were skeptical about the boy because he had trouble mastering the sub-elements of earth bending, his natural element.

At five years old, Avatar Korra possessed the elements of water, earth, and fire. Later she unlocked air bending but the young boy had much difficulty reaching his fullest potential. Even then, he could not metal like his predecessor Korra nor could her lava bend as the previous Avatars, Kyoshi, Roku, and Szeto. To many, the child was proving to be a disappointment and he felt it everywhere he went.

Avatars Korra and Aang left their mark on the world and it would prove to be a daunting task for the next Avatar to live up to it. Zian and his parents moved to start his training with the White Lotus in the Southern Water Tribe compound when he was seven. It had been the same place Avatar Korra was trained and only an hour away from his home. But the idea of training a child prodigy could lead the young Avatar into two directions, one being the disaster Princess of Azula almost a hundred years ago or the greatness Avatar Aang, Sifu Toph Beifong, and Master Katara experienced. 

Shortly after the death of Avatar Korra, the White Lotus and others were looking to the future and planned ahead for the sake of efficiency. Which masters would train the next Avatar and who would accompany him was the most daunting question. Korra had several masters and it was known that the next Avatar would have the same. It seemed inevitable that the families of Avatar Aang, Toph Beifong, and Firelord Zuko would serve the next Avatar.

The air benders who would help Zian would be the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of his past life. The earth and water benders would be the great-grandchildren of Toph Beifong, the founder of metal bending and the fire benders would be the great-grandchildren of Firelord Zuko. Except, life never goes to plan and people change. The era of Avatar Aang was long gone while the age of Avatar Korra held on. Jinora, Iroh, Suyin, and Eska would train the next Avatar in the four elements. 

From ages seven to ten, Zian stayed in the Southern Water Tribe before leaving for Air Temple Island to start his air bending training. Zian was a timid boy who took years to process that he was the new Avatar. At the age of ten, his family left their home in the South to a new place where he knew people were disappointed in him.

It was either he was not studying enough for the future or he was not mastering an element to his fullest potential. Avatar Korra possessed most of the elements by age five and Avatar Aang mastered most of the elements and defeated Firelord Ozai at the age of thirteen. As Zian got older, the whispers grew to the point they were screaming at him day and night. 

When Zian turned sixteen it was decided he would leave Air Temple Island and travel the world beginning his time as the Avatar. Historically, the children would find out they were the next Avatar around that age and traveled the world finding masters and learning the elements. Avatars Aang and Korra were special circumstances but Zian was a new era, a new world where the mortal and spirit world was closer than ever in thousands of years.

Except, Zian did not want to leave Air Temple Island because his heart was there. The young Avatar fell in love with Toph Beifong’s great-granddaughter Nima. Nima’s mother Opal was the daughter of Suyin Beifong, a master of Avatar Korra, and granddaughter of Toph Beifong, a master of Avatar Aang. Her father Bolin gave up his life in pro-bending for Avatar Korra, it was hoped that Nima would do the same and become a master to Avatar Zian.

When it was time for him to leave Air Temple Island, Zian, thinking love would conquer all, asked Nima to go with him. The young woman said no and said she would not leave her home and family to travel the world with him. It was a devastating blow to the young man and everyone else in the world, as they compared Nima to Katara. Of course, the comparison proved to be more of a burden than a compliment.

Holding the Avatar’s love was not the easiest thing in the world. Asami Sato, wife of Avatar Korra was widowed. Katara, the wife of Avatar Aang was widowed. Ta Min, the wife of Avatar Roku, was widowed. Rangi died before Avatar Kyoshi but it did not change the fact that Rangi experienced the best and worst of life with the woman she loved. Dying before the Avatar seemed like a blessing in disguise.

Then there was Ummi, the fiance of Avatar Kuruk who was dragged to the Spirit world and had her face stolen before the wedding could even take place. Loving the Avatar was not for the weak, it would break you if you weren’t strong enough. Nima ended things with Zian the day he left Air Temple Island and almost a year later, he would return for the first time since then. 

The world had high hopes for a happy reunion between the two but those closest to the former couple knew the truth, there would not be a happy reunion between Zian and Nima. It would be one of yearning and regret as the two still loved each other deeply but understood that the responsibility of being the Avatar came first. Avatars in the past learned to balance duty and love but Nima was too impatient for such a thing. They were both young and many believed they would come back together.

Zian found someone else days after their breakup, an Air Acolyte who did what Nima could not, leave her home and family, and followed him around the world. It was painful to watch as two lovers went their separate ways, but it was for the best in their eyes. If Zian was to become the very Avatar he was meant to be, then love would have to be forgotten for a time.

As Zian stood out in front of the temple, dozens of people stood to greet him and his friends. The first to greet him was Jinora, the successor to her father Tenzin as leader of the fluid Air Nation. Jinora had long been married to her childhood sweetheart, Kai, another master air bender, and had two daughters, nineteen-year-old Tashi and sixteen-year-old Dechen. 

Jinora had a big smile on her face as she hugged the young Avatar. “Welcome back Zian.”

Zian would have said ‘It’s good to be back’ and it almost slipped out, but in truth, he wanted to avoid this place as much as possible. Nima, the daughter of an air bender, had spent her whole life on Air Temple Island and in Zaofu where her grandmother, the famous Metal Clan matriarch Suyin Beifong resided. Instead, Zian smiled and nodded as he reunited with the rest of Master Tenzin’s children and grandchildren.

Ikki was the one Jinora relied on the most after their father passed. It was a stark difference from their childhood of two fighting siblings, but Ikki had stepped up. She took charge of the Western Air Temple while Meelo had looked after the Southern Air Temple and Rohan in the East. The four siblings were separated for most of the year, but on many occasions, the four got together as if they had never left Air Temple Island in the first place. The return of Avatar Zian to the island was one of those occasions.

The children and grandchildren and Master Tenzin counted the days until they would be together again. The children and grandchildren of Suyin Beifong were no different. Long passed the days of Avatar Aang and friends, and the new generation had much to learn from those who came before them. Lin and Suyin Beifong, at the request of Jinora, scheduled their visit to Air Temple Island with Suyin’s sons and grandchildren to coincide with Zian’s.

Over the years Opal’s presence at Air Temple Island had allowed her to get close to her aunt and in turn, her own children would have the same bond with the famous Lin Beifong, former Chief of Police. Lin lived in Republic City, but after Master Tenzin’s death, two years before Avatar Korra had relocated to the island. A year ago she left for Zaofu and stayed with her sister as old age was finally catching up with the two.

Opal and Bolin, friends of Zian’s previous life, had gotten married and had five children. Twenty-four-year old Ru was the eldest of five and an air bender like her mother. Then came twenty-two-year-old Wangchuk, another air bender. Ping was born two years later and a skilled metal bender like his uncles. Next came Nima, who at eighteen years old had become a master metal bender and even succeeded in lava bending like her father Bolin, the only two known to possess such abilities. The youngest at age sixteen was Palden, who was neither an air bender nor a metal bender.

While the Avatar was welcomed with smiles from the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Avatar Aang and Master Katara, the same could not be said for Toph Beifong’s lot, after all, Avatar Zian was no longer dating Nima. Lin Beifong gave the Avatar a nod of acknowledgment and that was as far as many people got from the former Chief of Police. While Suyin and Baatar gave smiles and even hugs, Bataar Jr, Bolin, and Wei gave the classic unimpressed Beifong greeting to the Avatar.

Behind Zian was Rinchen, an Air Acolyte, and non-bender who for the past year, had followed the Avatar around the world. Rinchen was a bright-eyed seventeen-year-old from the Southern Air Temple. On his way to the Southern Water Tribe to find a water bender who would travel with him, Zian visited Meelo and ended up leaving with Rinchen who wanted to see the world and aid the Avatar. Next to Rinchen was the eldest of the group, twenty-five-year-old Prince Zuko, great-grandson of Firelord Zuko.

Prince Zuko was the youngest son of Firelord Iroh, the natural successor to his mother Firelord Izumi. Zuko had an older brother Crown Prince Lu Ten who stands first in line to become Firelord one day. His aunt, Princess Ursa was married to Wing, Suyin Beifong’s youngest child. Together, the two had two sons, Kenji, a fire bender, and Takashi, a metal bender.

Life had not been kind to the Fire Royal Family, but something in the world was correcting past mistakes. An Iroh was named Firelord, a Lu Ten was named Crown Prince and expected to become Firelord, a Prince Zuko was raised by a loving father, and an Ursa was married to someone who loved and admired her. As the youngest son, Prince Zuko had more freedom than his older brother was ever granted. 

Completing the group was Arnaq, an eighteen-year-old girl from the Southern Water Tribe. Arnaq’s grandparents had come from the Northern Water Tribe as young adults to help their sister tribe rebuild. They stayed and raised their children in the South and were happy to find out Arnaq was a strong water bender. 

Once the acknowledgments were done, Zian’s smile dropped, “I wish I were here with good news but I’m afraid we all need to talk in private.”

“Follow me.” nodded Jinora.   


The group followed Jinora up the stairs and into the temple, which was empty in a rare occurrence. Everyone faced Jinora and Zian waiting for someone to speak. “I wish I were here under better circumstances, but we have been getting reports of assassination attempts that will happen soon,” spoke Zian.

Unfortunately, he was not clear and everyone in the room looked around believing one or the other would be the victim. “It’s Kenji and Takashi.” clarified Prince Zuko.

The Beifong women were not to be messed with, and messing with the grandsons of Suyin would not end kindly. History had already shown what would happen if you messed with the family of Toph Beifong and this was no exception.

“What do they want with my grandsons Zuko?” asked Suyin.

“There are nobles in the Fire Nation who are advocating for what they call ‘One Nation Families’. They do not believe in multicultural families.”

“That type of thinking is a thing of the past. Multicultural families are normal,” said Ikki.

“You are right but Kenji could become the leader of the Fire Nation if anything happens to my brother and me, or if we do not have children. While he is a fire bender, his father is a metal bender. If nobles are pushing for pure blood of some kind for their rulers, their lives are in danger.” explained Zuko.

“Then that’s the end of the line,” added Nima.

“If they kill us all, that’s the end of the Fire Nation Royal Family and it would lead to complete chaos. Enough chaos where any one of the nobles can claim the throne or several, possibly leading to a civil war.” ended Zuko.

“Then we kill them.” 

“We must not be brash with our decisions. We must plan this out,” suggested Jinora.

“They plan on killing two innocent children in the name of this stupid ‘One Nation’ idea for their rulers. If we allow them to live then their ideology will spread and who knows what will happen. There is no other option.” fought Nima.

“There are always other options Nima.” disputed Opal. The older woman’s voice also had a hint of scolding but Nima chose to ignore.

“I am heading to the Fire Nation and meeting with Firelord Iroh tomorrow.”

“Kenji and Takashi can come to Zaofu. They will be protected there. I will have Lin and my children for help in case anyone comes after them.”

“I ask that Bolin and I be able to go as well. My daughters can choose if they want to stay or leave but I’d like to be there for my nephews,” asked Opal.

Jinora nodded, “Your family should be together during this time.”

“I will go to the Fire Nation to escort the princes to Zaofu. Firelord Iroh has agreed to give them extra protection and called on Kyoshi warriors until there is no longer a threat,” said Zian.

“Nobles have been flocking to the Royal Palace for the past couple of days showing their loyalty to the crown. They want to prove they are not behind the assassination threats although some may be buying time to eliminate themselves as suspects.” scoffed Zuko. These were the times he resented being royalty.

“When do we ride out?” asked Nima.

“Oh, well… tomorrow morning. I wanted to ask if Ru would come. I thought all the Beifongs would be here.” stumbled Zian.

“Ru is in the Eastern Air Temple until I return,” spoke Meelo.

“I’ll go. Besides, you don’t have an earth bender in your ranks. I can be useful.”

“Nima, I am an earth bender.”

“You cannot metal bend and you cannot lava bend. I can.”

The room grew stiff as Zian and Nima looked at each other waiting for the other to respond. Quick to ease the tension and save his daughter, Bolin clapped his hands, drawing attention to himself, “If you all plan on leaving tomorrow morning, then you all must get your rest. Especially after the ride over here. I can lead everyone to their rooms.”

The older generation had chosen not to medal in their relationship unless it disrupted Zian’s Avatar duties, and so far, the breakup had not caused a large rift. There could even be a comparison between Nima and Zian to Lin and Tenzin. Lin and Tenzin grew up together, dated for a time, but ultimately went their separate ways. Nima inherited some of her aunt’s qualities but not enough that the comparison was so forthcoming.

Zian and Tenzin had similar qualities as well, but Zian could only agree from word of mouth. The famous master air bender and son of Avatar Aang had died two years before his birth. Jinora had been Zian’s air bending master since he was a child and said Zian reminded her of her own father. The weight of the world was on his shoulders, for Tenzin it was the future of the Air Nation, and for Zian, the balance between the human world and the spirit world as the duty of being the Avatar.

“Who else will go with them?”

“Tashi,” answered Jinora.   


Tashi was the nineteen-year-old daughter of Master Jinora and Master Kai, and Tenzin and Pema’s oldest grandchild. Tashi resembled her father with her darker skin color and had her mother’s brown eyes. She was a powerful air bender and was on her way to share her mother’s duties to aid the Avatar and the entire Air Nation. It was expected that she would take over after her mother’s retirement as she had done for her father shortly before his death.

Tashi had a strong legacy to uphold as the eldest great-grandchild of Avatar Aang. For a long time, Tashi’s family were the last of the Air Nation and had kept the culture alive even escaping extinction on multiple occasions. Unlike her own grandfather, Tashi could withstand the weight of the world thanks to her many air bending relatives who would not hesitate to offer their help and of course the hundreds of Air benders running around the world since Harmonic Convergence. 

For Avatar Aang, the last air bender for over a hundred years, he bared it all alone. Tenzin too, for a time, was the last air bender after his father’s death and before the birth of his children. Then Harmonic Convergence which produced more air benders, even giving Tenzin’s older brother Bumi air bending.

“Tashi?” asked Zian.

“Yes, I will go.”

“Now I wish I was going on that trip.” joked Palden, Nima’s sixteen-year-old sister. Had Palden been an air bender she would probably be going on the trip. Instead, she would leave for Zaofu with the rest of her family.

“Zian, I would like to have a word with you before you leave for the Fire Nation, “ said Suyin.

“Nevermind, I wish to be in that room,” whispered Palden. While Opal visually disapproved of her youngest daughter’s comments, Bolin agreed with a smile and well-hidden thumbs up.

The group semi-disbanded as the air benders entered their own conversation while the metal clan had turned to their matriarch. “I will not have my grandsons become motherless because a group of people have these crazy beliefs. Ursa will take priority after the boy. I know Wing can hold his own, but Ursa is not a fighter,” spoke Suyin.

“She will not leave if she believes her brother or nephew are in danger.”

“Then Nima will just have to convince her,” argued Wei, Suyin’s third son, and Wing’s twin brother.

“But Iroh married a fire bender? Lu Ten looks to be engaged to one soon? Why would they go after them?” asked Baatar Jr.

“Because Iroh allowed Ursa to marry Wing. You know how upset the nobles were and with Firelord Izumi’s abdication. Some felt betrayed that the Royal Family would sneak in a wedding during Iroh’s festivities.” answered Suyin.

“Can we trust the Avatar to do what is necessary to protect Kenji and Takashi?” asked Opal.

The metal clan looked at each other not knowing the answer. Zian was a strong earth bender with training under Suyin and her children and grandchildren but could not master any of the sub elements. He could fire and air bend, but again they were not the strongest of his elements. As far as everyone was concerned, Zian had not mastered water bending but that might have changed because of Arnaq’s presence from a year ago.

changed because of Arnaq’s presence from a year ago.

“I am… I have carried Kenji and Takashi in my arms when they were babies and loved them like my own family. I will bring them to you safely.” interrupted Zian.

“You have to understand where we are coming from,” said Baatar Jr.

“They are your family, I understand that.” Zian paused for a bit before turning his body towards Suyin, the Metal Clan matriarch who was already in her early 80’s. “Sifu Suyin, if you would join me in the hallway.”

Suyin nodded and left her family talking amongst themselves. She would never confess it, but at her age, she did expect to live long enough to see another Avatar be born. It hurt her heart to live long enough to see three Avatars.

“What would you like to talk about?” asked Zian

“My granddaughter.”

“Oh.” Zian let out an awkward laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck and now refused to look the older woman in the eyes.

“To put this in the easiest way possible, no messing around during the trip.”

“What? Oh. No, no I would never - we aren’t even. I’m sorry.” blushed Zian.

“You don’t think I see the way you look at each other? Baatar and Kuvira had it for years before he could forgive her for everything. Even then, they never returned to the same relationship they once shared. I saw it with my own sister and Tenzin for years too. Nima has potential that I have yet to see in anyone else and that means a lot when you come from a family like ours. She must not get distracted with feelings now. All that can come later.”

“I understand.”

“Holding the Avatar’s love is a reality that few will ever experience. I have seen it twice in my life and learned about it five more times before that. This is only the beginning of your story and hers.”

There was this long silence between them as Zian continued to think.“Can I ask you something?” asked Zian.

“Of course.”

“Is it true about Nima and some air bender?”

“Do not believe everything you hear… especially across the waters.” smiled Suyin.

Zian returned to the special chambers on Air Temple Island designated for the Avatar late at night when most had gone to sleep. He spoke with almost everyone and insured the Beifongs that he would bring the family to safety. In truth, this would perhaps be his biggest quest yet. He had spent the last year learning water bending and trying to master the sub elements of fire bending under Prince Zuko but to little satisfaction. Arnaq was patient with him and Zuko sat with him for hours to control his breathing. Zian could not metal bend, lava bend, heal, produce lightning, redirect lightning, fire breathe, spirit projection, or anything spiritual. 

The feeling of disappointment that had plagued him in his childhood never seemed to go away even when he was surrounded by friends who only wanted to help him. It did not help his confidence that he was surrounded by masters of the four elements and the famous families of Avatar Aang, Toph Beifong, and Firelord Zuko. The need to measure himself up to all those all around him was something he wished would go away.

Zian could not go to sleep but instead wandered around the island until he found water. Walking into the water Zian took a deep breath in and the feeling he got reminded him of his grandparents and parents whom he had not seen in over a year. Once he left Air Temple Island, his family returned to the Southern Water Tribe. He tried to call home whenever he could but most times he got distracted with other things, not to his own fault.

“Not surprised to see you here.” Zian had thrown ice blades that Nima had blocked with a sheet of rock. As she flicked her wrist the rock returned to where it belonged, she gave him a small smile in response to the bending. 

“Sorry I didn’t know it was you,” said Zian in embarrassment.

“No apology needed. It’s nice to know you are working on your water bending. You did not hesitate… that is good. It means you might live longer.”

“Why are you here?” asked Zian.

“I couldn’t sleep either. I keep thinking about Aunt Ursa and how scared she must be for her sons and family. Uncle Wing probably already has dozens of people protecting his family day and night… so I came here.”

“You Beifongs are all about family.”

“I am not a Beifong,” argued Nima as she got in the water like him, only she went waist deep compared to him who stayed at a knee-high level.

“Do you think your cousins are going to be assassinated?”

“If we do not intervene, yes. When Ursa married my uncle, it upset a lot of people in the Fire Nation. There were even protests to stop the marriage for weeks before and after the wedding but that was kept a secret from everyone except for family. Firelord Iroh did his best to shut down the protests with the public's interest at heart.”

“I didn’t know that,” said Zian. As the Avatar, he thought he knew everything although Princess Ursa and Wing Beifong’s marriage occurred when he was young.

“Wing is a metal bender, with no fire benders in his family history. The Fire Royal Family is supposed to have the most powerful fire benders in their ranks. It’s how they kept their image up for so many years. My grandfather Baatar is a non-bender and well, who Toph Beifong chose as the father to her second daughter remains a mystery to this day. Kenji is a fire bender with great potential but Takashi is a metal bender. I think the Fire Nation could accept a non-bender in the Royal Family, but a metal bender who has a chance at the throne? I don’t think they can accept that.” explained Nima.

“I thought things had changed in the Fire Nation since Firelord Zuko deposed his father. I guess it was foolish to think that.” chuckled Zian.

“The Fire Nation accepted Firelord Zuko’s abdication and undisputed reign of his daughter Firelord Izumi. In some way’s things did change, just not fast enough for others.”

“Zuko thought part of my training should include almost four hundred years of Fire Nation history. Sometimes I thought about fire bending and lighting myself on fire to get out of that stuff. Zuko gave Arnaq some inspiration and I had hundreds of years worth of Water Tribe history to learn. The Southern Water Tribe had most of its history wiped out and so did the Air Nomads, so there was little to memorize. The former Earth Kingdom, well it would take me years to make a dent in those books.”

“It sounds like things are going well then.”

“I guess. Since I can’t talk to my past lives, I have to rely on the history books to know what they would have done in certain situations but so many things are forgotten. I don’t think anyone ever expected the connection to my past lives would be destroyed.”

“You’re lying about things being well,” said Nima.

“Am I? And how would you know?”

“I can tell you’re lying. I know you.”

“What else have you picked up since the last time I saw you?” smiled Zian.

“Nothing besides that. I’m trying to learn seismic sense so I can find secret tunnels like my aunt Lin and my great-grandma. Turns out seeing by touch is a bit more difficult than it sounds. You’d think being related to them would help.”

“How is training going?” 

“I started meditating… dad said I needed to learn to be calm or something. He and my mom just didn’t want me to rely on anger to bend like some fire benders can lose the fire within them. Iroh said his grandfather experienced something similar after joining Avatar Aang. It’s some spiritual stuff but I never could finish listening. Hard to pay attention to something else when you're constantly being compared to Toph Beifong, the literal inventor of metal bending.”

“A strong legacy to live up to… I understand that feeling.”

“Look, I know you are hard on yourself about bending. Especially since Avatars Korra and Aang were exceptionally talented at a young age-”

“Thanks for that.” It was just another reminder of how much of a bad Avatar he was. He accepted this type of talk from everyone else but never Nima. 

“You didn’t let me finish. Avatars Roku and Kyoshi were older. The same age as you actually.”

“There really is no point in lying to you,” said Zian in defeat, he would have lied and agreed that him being older was a good thing, but he couldn’t.

“If it makes you feel better, dad hated the fact that he could not metal bend when he was surrounded by them for years. He doesn’t really talk about it but everyone loves to mention his lava bending as if to cover up the awkwardness about it. Even after he discovered he could lava bend, he was still going on about metal bending. Lava bending is still one of the rarest bendings in the world, but it bugs him more than he lets on, I can at least tell that.”

“Lava bending is pretty cool. Only you and your dad are known to have it.” smiled Zian.

“Yeah, no doubt in a decade or less, it might be common like metal bending is.” shrugged Nima.

“Your grandmother told me she sees great things ahead for you. I have no doubt you will change the world. Maybe even be the first to bend platinum.”

“No one can bend platinum.”

“A hundred years ago people said the same thing about metal bending and blood bending but we know they exist now. If anyone can bend platinum, it would be a Beifong.”

“I’m not a Beifong.”

Nima said goodnight to Zian after that and returned to her bed. The ease she felt in the pit of her stomach when talking to Zian made her feel guilty. She remembered that she was still in love with him and that was not fair to the next person either would see. Words were never Nima’s strong suit, but when she said the right thing, it was like a sweet tea that makes you feel all warm inside.

When the morning came there were two planes ready for different destinations. One plane was headed to Zaofu with the Beifongs and another plane was for the group headed to the Fire Nation.

“We are not going in that.”

“They are perfectly safe,” said Rinchen.

“That is not the issue. If we are going to get my cousins and keep them safe from assassins, I don’t think a plane would be the safest way.”

“What else are we supposed to go on? A boat?” asked Arnaq.   
“Kiki,” answered Tashi.

“It would take longer for us to travel,” argued Zian.

“With a plane, we could get caught easily. We can hide better on Kiki.”

“A flying bison in an age of planes would hardly mean hiding.”

“They would simply think we are just air benders and friends traveling. With more air benders now, it wouldn’t look out of place,” said Tashi.

“If you four go on the plane, then Tashi and I will meet you there.”

Zian looked at Nima knowing she would not budge. “Fine, the flying bison it is.”

“Good. I’ll take the reins and take the first shift. You all can get rest because we won’t be stopping unless Kiki needs a break.”

While Zian and his friends walked to the bison opposite of the planes, Tashi stayed behind to talk with Nima. “I know you want to protect your cousins, but you have to promise you will be careful on this trip. You could put us all in danger if you make the wrong move.”

“I promise not to do anything stupid.”

“Good.”

Tashi and Nima started walking towards the group just as Zian got comfortable in the saddle. Tashi used her air bending to go up in the air and help Nima on Kiki’s neck before gently walking up to the saddle.

“Kiki, yip yip.”

Upon their arrival at the Fire Nation Capital, there was no formal greeting to ensure no one knew they had arrived. Firelord Iroh and Crown Prince Lu Ten greeted them in the middle of the night with a handful of close advisors. The plan was that they would leave the following day before sunrise to give Avatar and company rest alongside their flying bison. The plan was to take Ursa, Wing, Kenji, and Takashi to Zaofu and remain there until it was safe. Lu Ten had given them an estimate of a couple of months before the family could come back.

When Wing and Ursa came into the room Nima shot up and ran into her uncle's arms. It had been a while since they had seen each other. Upon Wing’s marriage to a Fire Nation princess, he moved to the capital and raised his children there. Ursa, as the only female born in the royal family in her generation, performed duties around the nation. Promoting cultural events and even being the occasional diplomat with the other nations was part of those said duties. 

Once Wing had let go of his niece, Nima immediately hugged her aunt, Princess Ursa. “I’ve missed you two.”

“We’ve missed you too. Thank you for coming.” smiled Ursa.

“Where are Kenji and Takashi ?” asked Zian.

“They are sleeping. We wanted to give them enough rest before the trip,” answered Wing.

“Are they in separate rooms?” asked Nima.

“No, I had two beds brought into our room so we are all together. I have guards day and night standing guard and patrolling our wing of the palace.”

“How many?” asked Tashi.

“Five outside the door and a couple of dozen patrolling but those don’t include the Kyoshi warriors and the guards we already had before this all started,” answered Wing.

“Nima and I can stand guard as well,” suggested Tashi.

“I can help as well,” added Zian. There was a brief pause where he looked at Rinchen knowing she was the only non-bender in the group. As an Air Acolyte, Rinchen was not one to know how to fight. “I ask that the rest of the group be put in rooms nearby.”

“A room is set up with beds for everyone right next door. Do not hesitate to ask for anything else,” said Ursa.

“Zuko, Nima, if we can just set aside,” said Wing as he put his hand out.

Ursa talked with Zian and the rest of the group while Wing had a worried look on his face. It concerned Zuko and Nima as they had never seen that look on the older man. Wing was a very confident man who knew his abilities when fighting and trusts his family to protect each other in bad circumstances. 

“If anything happens to me, I want my brothers to protect Ursa and the boys. I want them away from the Fire Nation and in safety at Zaofu and I need you two to promise me.”

“I promise.” agreed Nima and Zuko.

“What… what if something happens to the both of you?” asked Nima.

“Then my brothers will protect them.”

Prince Kenji and Prince Takashi were the fifteen-year-old twin boys of Princess Ursa and Prince Wing. Abiding by customs, upon Wing’s marriage to Ursa, he was given the title Prince of the Fire Nation. Their sons were also given the titles Prince of the Fire Nation as grandsons of Firelord Izumi. Despite Wing having a legendary reputation as the grandson of Toph Beifong and a master metal bender, the nobles of the Fire Nation had not accepted him.

Those men and women believed Princess Ursa should have married a nobleman, a fire bender to secure the tradition of the Fire Nation Royal Family producing strong fire benders. When the court was filled with rumors that Ursa and Wing might marry, his legitimacy became an issue for the first time in his life. Who Suyin’s father was, came into question for the fire time in years amongst court members, until Firelord Iroh had put his foot down and announced the marriage of his sister.

Keeping with her father’s example, Firelord Izumi abdicated in 190AG, and with her mother and brother’s acceptance, Ursa married Wing. Princess Ursa was in her late thirties at the time of her marriage and many believed she would never have any children of her own thus not having multicultural children. Except, Ursa did get pregnant and gave birth the day after her mother’s death that same year.

Again Nima could not sleep as she constantly worried about her family being killed in front of her. As the sunrise came up, Nima barely had an hour of sleep. Rinchen, Arnaq, and Zuko had commented on her looking as if she was about to pass out any second. And she did, right after breakfast, Naoki collapsed from exhaustion. The next thing she knew, Zian was shaking her and whispering for her to wake up as he hovered over her body. It’s the middle of the night and everyone else is asleep from what she can tell.

“What’s going on?” asked Nima, careful not to wake anyone else up.

“I heard something.”

Nima got up and followed Zian out of the room. Part of Nima was hoping he was just hearing things, “How long was I out for?” 

“Long time. Your uncle wanted you to rest.”

Slowly opening the door, Zian and Nima could not see in the darkness. Nima took a deep breath in hoping seismic sense would kick in and save the day, it didn’t. Taking her stance, Nima lifted the ground underneath the beds. The movement startled Zian and the guards outside, who busted in a second later. 

The guards, using fire bending, lit up the room to find several men in all black standing above the sleeping family. As far as they know, the family of four was safe high off the ground but had not made a sound. The guards began attacking the mystery men but were chi blocked. Nima used metal bending to try to apprehend one of the men but they also used metal bending to cut the wires.

Those men barely put up a fight and just left at the first sign of a fight, which was different. What shocked Nima the most was the man she tried to capture had used metal bending against her instead of the expected fire bending. This pureblood idea reached beyond the Fire Nation and it could lead to war if no one was careful. Nima looked around as Zian made the ground underneath the beds disappear. “Something is not right.”

Zian rushed to Kenji and Takashi’s side confused, “They’re… asleep? How did they sleep through that?”

“That was too easy. They barely fought us and one of them used metal bending.”

“Nima they aren’t waking up!”

The guards got up and rushed to the family’s side as Nima had done. They were still breathing but they weren’t waking up. As Nima tried shaking the boys awake, Zian went to Wing and Ursa who were also unconscious. The Kyoshi warriors, with Tashi and Arnaq, come into the room preparing for the worst situation possible. “We were able to follow them, but they were skilled fighters. They escaped.” spoke one of the Kyoshi warriors.

“What about Firelord Iroh and his sons? Are they okay?” asked Nima.

“They are fine.”

“This doesn’t make any sense. They were sloppy, they didn’t fight us, and they drugged them for some reason.”

“Someone in the palace is working with those men. Wing is cautious, he wouldn’t just allow this to happen. They must have ingested something like food or water to knock them out, how else would this remain undetected?”

“Then we have to question all those servants close to the family.” agreed Zian.

“You heard something. How?” asked Nima, looking skeptical at Zian.

“I just did… you don’t think I have something to do with this?” argued Zian.

“I’m just trying to think!”

“I heard something so that’s why I woke you up. Besides, I don’t think they wanted to kill them; I think this was a kidnapping.”

“Kidnapping? For ransom or something?”

“You should talk to Firelord Iroh.”

Speaking in the middle of the night with the Firelord was easier said than done. Everyone was on lockdown until there was a full sweep of the palace. It took hours before the sweep was done, even then everyone was to remain in their room for the time being. Only a selected few were let out, and the Royal Family was kept away from everyone. Because there were dozens of nobles that had been flocking to the Royal Palace, it was another reason to be on high alert. Kidnapping or possible assassination of a noble would cause panic throughout the Fire Nation.

The Avatar and group were the only ones allowed near the royal family. Even then, there were many guards around them at all times. Ursa and her family were still unconscious with healers being led by Arnaq to try and wake them up.

“Firelord Iroh, is there something you need to tell us?” asked Zian.

“For the past couple of years, I have been trying to change my nation into a constitutional monarchy,” confessed Iroh.

“Years?” asked Nima in a bit of shock.

“I had plans since before I was Firelord and I had planned to make changes within the first couple of years of my reign. Unfortunately, I failed to consider the exact amount of support I would need to make a big change. I am supreme ruler, but a decision like this required many more minds and bodies.”

“But now your plans are becoming a reality,” spoke Rinchen.

“Did you know about this?” asked Zian to Zuko.

“No! No I didn’t!” Zuko did know what to be more hurt by. The fact that his father did not tell him about this big change to the Fire Nation or the fact that Zian, whom he spent the last year teaching and traveling around the world with, would think he would lie.

“So your nobles are upset. You are weakening the foundation of the monarchy and thus weakening them in the process.” thought Nima.

“No, the nobles would not lose power. They would get stronger because the monarchy would rely on them to survive. You didn’t even tell me.” Zuko was hurt by the secrecy and no one could blame him.

“I never thought I would get this far so soon. I believed this idea would die with me but there are some nobles and their allies who have sided with me. Marriages like the ones to your mother, my parent’s marriage, and my grandfather Firelord Zuko’s marriage have allowed my plans to come forth sooner.” explained Firelord Iroh, although it was mostly to his son.

“What is the final step? If you are this close and nobles are attacking your family then you must be close,” asked Zian.

“The marriages of my sons and nephews to women from noble families is the last thing I needed to do,” answered Iroh.

“Kenji and Takashi are just fifteen! That is too young, Ursa and Wing would never have agreed to that.” fought Nima.

“For them, it would be a simple betrothal, years before they would marry but a promise was enough to get me more allies. They are already very fond of the girls so I did not think they would mind.”

“Were you ever going to tell me?” asked Zuko.

“I was but it never felt like the right time, especially after you left with the Avatar.”

“Who else knows about these plans?” asked Nima.

“A handful of nobles related by marriage and blood as well as those who are to be welcomed by marriage to the next generation.”

“You are upsetting the balance,” spoke Nima, when no one else would.

“He is not, he is merely evening out the field for everyone else. Since the days of Firelord Sozin, the Firelord’s have ruled with absolute power. Firelords Zuko and Izumi were fair and just during their times as supreme rulers. The nation was healing from two wars during their reigns but we cannot say the same for those who will come in the future. Firelord Iroh and Crown Prince Lu Ten are good men who will rule with their subject’s best interest, but we cannot, with all due respect Firelord, be assured your descendants will be the same. We are very aware of the Earth Kingdom monarchs and their competence or lack thereof. Even then we all know about the aftermath of Wu’s abdication” explained Zian.

“Madness and greatness run the family.” interrupted Zuko.

“The royal family has had a complicated history of two siblings ever getting along for a lack of better words. Until my sister and I, there has never been a known time where two siblings didn’t try and kill each other. Ozai and Iroh, Zuko and Azula… we have a difficult history when it comes to family but as Uncle Iroh explained, we have cleansed the sins of our family a generation ago.” answered Firelord Iroh.

“So who is doing all of this? What nobles are willing to go this far from seeing this constitutional monarchy.”

“My biggest threat to everything would be Aki, his family has been gaining influence since the establishment of the colonies during The Hundred Year War. Avatar Aang’s United Republic diminished their influence until a couple of years ago when his daughter married one of the richest noblemen in the Fire Nation.”

“Then we go to him first and find out what he knows,” suggested Nima.

“No,” replied Zian.

“And why not? We have a name and now all we have to do is go and talk to him.”

“You cannot and will not go around intimidating people of the Fire Nation!” yelled Zian, slamming his hand against the wall. Unknowingly to the rest of the people in the room, the avatar nearly destroyed the entire wall.

“It is late, we shall talk at sunrise,” said Iroh. Team Avatar was escorted back to their room while Firelord Iroh had stayed behind. Zian and Iroh stared at each other in silence for a couple of seconds before Iroh had patted the Avatar on the shoulder. “Nima has always been about action first and dealing with the consequences later.”

“She used to tell me it’s better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. Then she would get scolded by the acolytes for being a bad influence on the Avatar.” laughed Zian.

“Bad influence? I think she gives you a different perspective on things, just as my grandfather did for Avatar Aang during their time. There will be times when you will have to act beyond what you want.”

“Jinora tried her best to help but these are the times where I wish I could talk to the past Avatars. I wish my past lives weren’t destroyed by Unalaq and Vaatu.”

“You are afraid of taking a life?”

“It probably sounds stupid since I’m the Avatar… but with Nima, she has never had a problem with it. If it came between someone she loved and some random man trying to kill them, she used to say she would not hesitate. None of the Beifongs do and it didn’t help that I was raised with them and the air benders. I think it messed with my head. It pulled my two different directions, two ideologies.”

“It does not sound stupid. Avatar Aang was the same way when he defeated my great-grandfather Ozai and with Yakone many years later. There is no shame in being hesitant about your actions when it comes to life and death. After all, the Avatar must hold value in all life no matter what people do with their actions.”

“Everyone is capable of great good and great evil and has to be treated like their worth giving a chance.” agreed Zian.   


Iroh felt a swell of warmth in his stomach and gave Zian a smile, “That is exactly what Aang would have said. I understand being pulled in two different directions… by the Air benders and the Beifongs. My family history is an example of that... Firelord Zuko, Firelord Ozai, Firelord Sozin, Avatar Roku. It all leaves a complicated history only a few understand.”

“There are only a few of you left who knew my past two lives… I feel very honored to have you all around,” confessed Zian.

“And I am sure we all feel honored to serve the Avatar, even after all this time. We are also family after all… you are my great-great… great-grandfather three lifetimes ago.” laughed Iroh.

“I can’t get used to that idea, even after all these years. Especially since I was taught by Avatar Aang’s grandchildren and your family.”

“Have you spoken to Asami Sato?” 

“No, it’s been… a year since I’ve seen her. Even before I left Republic City, Asami was busy with Future Industries and her family. I thought I might see her when I visited Air Temple Island…”

“I’m sure when you return home you will see her.” smiled Iroh.

Even with some of the most skilled healers, it took a full day for Wing, Ursa, and their sons to wake up. Kenji and Takashi woke up within an hour of each other with Ursa waking up next. Wing was the last to wake up and he did so in anger and confusion. After the family had a couple of minutes to console each other, Wing grabbed Nima, taking her into a tight hug. “Thank you, thank you.” At that moment, Nima realized she had never lost a family member who wasn’t of old age. It made her angry that she could lose a family member so quickly, but also in such close proximity where she could do nothing. “What happened?” asked Wing.

“In the middle of the night, Zian heard a noise. We found you all unconscious with men surrounding you. They escaped and didn’t really fight us.” explained Nima.   
“How long were we out for? How long was I out for?” 

“A day.”

“What about the plans to leave?” 

“We could not risk transporting the four of you unconscious. We had to delay our trip for another day. Word was sent for Zaofu and to Air Temple Island about what has happened.”

“We leave now.”

“Wing, you need more rest,” argued Ursa.

“I need you three safe. We must get to Zaofu as fast as possible.”

“Dad, we can wait until sunset tomorrow so we can travel together,” added Kenji.

“Use a plane and get there in a couple of hours rather than a couple of days. I know we traveled here by Kiki but with plans already a day behind, getting to Zaofu as fast as possible would be better,” said Rinchen.

“Rinchen is right.”   


Everyone looked around the room waiting for someone to agree or disagree but the silence was an answer enough, “I will leave Kiki in the hands of the Fire Nation… never thought I would say that.” chuckled Tashi.

“She will be in good hands at the stables here. I will talk to Lu Ten and ask him to personally take care of Kiki.” smiled Ursa.

“Thank you, Princess Ursa.”

“Dad you can rest on the plane,” spoke Takashi.

All eyes were on the Avatar by then, “We leave as soon as the plane is ready. Call for Asami Sato and ask for one of her planes. She is the only one I could trust to transport such a group like this,” ordered Zian.

By sunrise, the large group had left Fire Nation capital and was on their way to Zaofu. It was a tense couple of hours since Wing had woken up as everyone was on edge. It would not take much to shoot the plane out of the air or cut off the air from the plane at such a high altitude. Zian’s mind was going through so many scenarios in his head and he was not alone.

While Zian paced around the plane, Nima was busy looking through the windows, and Wing was standing by his family with Tashi right by his side. Ursa was comforting her sons, but the fifteen-year-old twins wanted nothing more than their mother to stop fussing over them. While Kenji and Takashi were powerful benders in their own right, they were not as skilled as other family members who had years on them.

Nima stopped looking out the windows to walk up to Zian. “You know Tashi leaving Kiki in the Fire Nation breaks her heart even if she doesn’t say it. Now if memory serves me correct, you have a platypus bear by the name of Jasmine. Where is she?”

“Zaofu.”

To say Nima was taken back was an understatement, “Really?” Perhaps she needed to visit her grandmother more often.

“She needed to roam around and be with people I know will love her. Zaofu seemed like a good option.”

Nima smiled at him, “Is my grandmother taking care of her?”

“Yes, her and Wei. When I left Air Temple Island about a year ago I knew traveling with Jasmine would be difficult. I had to leave her but I wanted her to be somewhere safe.”

“We’re landing soon!”

Fastening in their seat belts, Wing grabbed onto Nima and whispered, “I forgot to ask since when are you working with Zian?”

“Since your lives were in danger.”

“Are you going to go with him after this is over?”

“No… I think that position is taken,” said Nima as her eyes went to Rinchen and Wing followed suit. 

“Our family has served the Avatar for generations. Beifongs have long been masters to the Avatar since the days before Avatar Yangchen.”

“I am not a master or a Beifong.”

“You are both, you just have to accept it. Lava bending and metal bending are enough, you just deny it because you feel the need to measure yourself up to everyone around you. And being in a family like this, it’s hard sometimes, even I can admit that.”

“Says the metal bender who helped save Republic City, aided the Avatar from saving the world on multiple occasions, and somehow ended up marrying the most eligible princess in the world then had two powerful bender children.” laughed Nima.

“My story is mine, but you are young and you will have years to go. Men and women will go to extreme lengths to write about a woman like you.”

Before Nima could counter her uncle, the plane had already landed and it was time to exist. Zian and Arnaq were the first to get out of the plane followed by Rinchen, Wing and family, and some of the Kyoshi warriors and Fire Nation guards. Tashi and Nima were the last to get out but Tashi went into an air vortex to look around the area. 

Wing and his family were rushed into a car, one of a dozen, while the others were filled with guards. Tashi returned to the ground with such delicacy that Nima barely noticed her by her side again. “Everything looks clear.”

“I’m going to go ahead and leave ahead of the rest of the group. Stay with my uncle and look after them.”

“Stay safe.”

Tashi stayed by Ursa's side until they were greeted by the matriarch of Zaofu. Suyin brought her son, daughter-in-law, and grandsons into a long hug. “I heard what happened. I wish I was there to protect you all.”

“The Avatar and friends were there. We were in safe hands.”

The rest of Suyin’s children gave hugs to their brother and his family welcoming them back to Zaofu. It had been some time since they saw Wing and his family, but to the Beifong family, it felt like years. Since Harmonic Convergence decades ago, most of the Beifongs had rarely spent a couple of weeks away from each other. 

“Where is aunt Lin?” asked Wing.

“Seeing to the Kyoshi Warriors and Fire Nation guards. She will be with us soon. I know she would love to be here to greet you all but she wanted to take the lead in your protection until you return back to the Fire Nation.” explained Suyin.

“Is Jasmine here?” asked Zian, eager to get to his animal companion.

“Someone will show you to Jasmine,” said Suyin as she gestured to one of the servants to take him. Rinchen and Arnaq followed him outside as Tashi and Nima stayed behind with their family.

“I forgot how big the Beifong family is,” commented Arnaq.

“There is more. Nima has three older siblings you haven’t met and two other cousins but they spend their time in the Northern Water Tribe helping their mom and uncle,” replied Zian.

“Wait, Nima is related to the Chiefs of the Northern Water Tribe?” asked Rinchen.

“Chief Eska is Nima’s aunt,” answered Arnaq.

“I should have remembered that,” said Rinchen more to herself than to the others.

“The Beifongs are a large family. Baatar Jr and Wei are the only ones without kids, but Baatar is married to this engineer woman he met in Ba Sing Se. Wei had a husband but he died from sickness a couple of years back.”

“If Kenji somehow becomes Firelord… that would make Nima cousins to the Firelord of the Fire Nation and Chief of the Northern Water Tribe. That’s a lot of influence and power for one family.”

“And they had the Avatar for a time. You dated Nima for years,” added Arnaq.

Zian blushed, “We broke up a while back… and they didn’t have me.” The last part was more like a snap and rushed which made Arnaq laugh.

“You two were raised together and you dated for years. Also doesn’t change the fact that the Beifongs had their hands in so many jars. I mean come on, they are kind of unstoppable before and after you.” spoke Arnaq.   


They finally were greeted with Jasmine who in excitement had laid an egg which the group smiled at. Zian wrapped his arms around the platypus bear's neck in pure happiness. “If you think they care about world domination or something like that, you're wrong. Their family has served the Avatar for generations.”

“Toph Beifong and Avatar Aang. They are all in the history books about ending the Hundred Year War,” said Rinchen

“Before Aang, that’s like… over five hundred years. I’m bad with numbers so it’s probably more.”

“Do you think our friendship will continue on after we are gone?” asked Rinchen.

“No doubt. Beifongs and the Fire Royal Family are proof of that,” answered Arnaq.

“I’m not a bender or a fighter,” argued Rinchen.

“Uncle Sokka was not a bender.”

“Uncle Sokka?” asked Arnaq.

“What? I was raised by the children of Toph Beifong and Avatar Aang and they called him Uncle Sokka. I never knew him… well I did in my past life, but not now in this life. Anyways, he died protecting Korra from the Red Lotus when they tried to kidnap her… or me, depending on how you see it, but I grew up with a lot of stories about him.” smiled Zian.

Rinchen was confused and so was Arnaq. They believed the Avatar was trained by the White Lotus. “Exactly how much time did you spend with them? I’m not your first master water bender am I?” asked Arnaq.

“My first water bender teacher was Chiefs Eska and Desna but water is not the strongest of my elements and they aren’t exactly the most encouraging people. Nima’s cousins would teach me whatever their mother and uncle were too busy, but it wasn’t often.”

“That answers my element, what about air bending?”

“Jinora has been the only master air bender I had but I had help from Ikki, Meelo, Rohan, and Opal.”

“Fire bending?” asked Rinchen.

“Zuko, he was taught by his father and would help me when he could. It wasn’t often, but I learned a lot of history from him and before you ask I had many earth bending masters. Suyin, Lin, Wei, Bolin, and Nima all taught me. I had to rely on Lin for seismic sense and Nima and Bolin, mostly Nima for lava bending, but I can’t do either.”

“How did Nima learn metal and lava bending?” asked Rinchen.

Before Zian could even answer Rinchen, Nima’s voice rang out, “I’m not gone for long and you all are already talking about me?”

Nima carefully landed on her feet after spiraling out of the ground. “Did you just come out from under the ground?” asked Arnaq.

Nima smiled, “Yes.” 

“How?” asked Rinchen.

“Simple earth bending technique, but using a form the air benders use when tunneling yourself out. I learned it from my mother in case I ever needed to sneak up on someone during a fight. So what exactly were you guys talking about?” answered Nima.

“I was asking how you learned to metal and lava bend.” blushed Rinchen.

“I could metal bend since I could walk and I had the greatest metal benders in the world to nurture my talent. You can imagine the pressure that puts on a child when you barely understand what your body is doing and then you’ll be asked… or told what to do with such talents. The whole lava bending came later and that was fueled by anger actually. I almost burned my aunt Lin when she put me on my ass after a whole day of training and I tore open the ground. Firelord Iroh said that my lava bending is fueled by anger which can be dangerous because I can’t rely on anger to fuel my bending.” explained Nima.

“Why haven’t you mastered more skills?” asked Arnaq. Zian and Rinchen gave the water bender a particular look as if she shouldn’t have asked that. “What? Rinchen got to ask her questions, now I have some of my own.”

“What can I say? I’m a complicated girl.”

“I like you. It’s a shame you didn’t leave Air Temple Island with Zian in the first place,” said Arnaq, unaware that mentioning that would make things awkward.

Zian awkwardly laughed, “Maybe we should head back to the house now.”

“We could’ve been best friends,” added Arnaq.

“We can still be best friends,” said Nima.


	2. 206AG

It was seven months before Iroh was declared the last supreme ruler of the Fire Nation and a constitutional monarchy was declared. The people sent after Urza and her family were a part of a group now known as The Nationalists. They believed in one nation families and believed Urza betrayed the Fire Nation by marrying a metal bender. Iroh imprisoned their leaders and offered to spare the lives of their supporters. An act of kindness that did not help the image of the great monarchy, but the attack on the princess was not synonymous with Iroh’s plan but more of an opportunity to hurt the royal family.

Zian enjoyed training with Nima, sparing like they were children again. He had Opal and Rinchen helping with the air bending and spiritual side. Unfortunately, his fire bending was lacking most of the four elements since Zuko had left for the Fire Nation. Tashi and Zuko went back to the Fire Capital about three months ago. The air bender wanted to go back to her flying bison before heading back to Air Temple Island to help her mother. Zuko went to the Capital to be with his father and brother. 

The Beifongs had provided Zian with many sparring partners and his earth bending was almost as good as the famous Metal Clan. The new Avatar had few opportunities to use his fighting skills as his past lives as most of the issues he faced were more about diplomacy. With Jinora’s guidance and the backing from the leaders of the four nations, Zian decisions were meant to be law. In a fast pacing world, the need for an Avatar was still being questioned. 

From the year he left Air Temple Island to when he returned, Zian had been traveling the world being the diplomat Avatar Szeto and the mistaken Avatar, Yun, had been. His time in Zaofu amplified his bending but once the Fire Nation issue was resolved, it was time for Zian’s masters to focus on the hardest part yet. The Avatar State. From generation to generation, spirituality has always varied. Some Avatars, it came naturally, others struggled. Zian was unique as he only had contact with Korra when he was young and started having nightmares. 

Going into the Avatar State was blocked by his chakras. After leaving Air Temple Island almost two years ago, Zian went to the Southern Air Temple and Meelo attempted to help him. Zian could not even get past the first of seven chakras. The Earth Chakra deals with survival and is blocked by fear. Zian had too many fears in this world to simply let him go. In a painful experience, Zian knew they would only get more demanding and gave up before the real fight even started.

Now Rinchen suggested going back to Jinora and trying again. Zian was not the same avatar he was seven months ago. He was more confident, stronger, emotionally, and physically. The Avatar, the water bender, and the Air Acolyte agreed to go back to Jinora and help Zian in the next part of his journey. Except for the one person, Zian wanted the most was going to need a lot of convincing, possibly from the spirits themselves. 

“Come with me.” Nima felt her fists curl up but she was hesitant to speak as Zian continued on not letting her reply partly knowing her answer already, “We have been happy this past couple of months. Rinchen and Arnaq love having you around, I love having you around.”

With her lips quivering now, Nima could not look Zian in the face. She hoped this would not happen again, but it did. Life was repeating itself and it was no less cruel the second time. “Please don’t make me say it.”

“The past couple of months have been great, even you can admit that. Arnaq, Rinchen, you, and me… we can be together and help people. We can travel the world and do what we are meant to do.” begged Zian.

“I can’t. I can’t do that, you know that.”

“Why? You say you don’t want to leave your family but your family will understand why you are leaving. For spirit’s sake Nima! You are a Beifong, your family has served the Avatar for hundreds of years. I need you by my side, we all do.” If Suyin was here in this room she would probably scold Zian. She said love can come after for Nima and him, but Zian was selfish too right now.

“I’m scared! Loving you has always been the easiest thing in the world. Even breathing seems difficult whenever I am around you. Everyone knows what happens when you fall in love with Avatar. Your death! I would rather have my bending taking away than to live in a world without you and I will *not* follow you around the world as you put your life in danger. I know I shouldn’t think that way and I can’t help that I fell in love with the Avatar of all people. I would die protecting you, loving you or not, but it fuels me for all the wrong reasons Zian, and no one deserves that.” cried Nima.

Zian could feel it, the both of them being fueled by love and anger was making the ground and everything metal around them shake. In any other circumstance, people would dismiss the movements, but in a house filled with metal benders, it raised alarms. Speeding through the house, the Beifongs were ready for an attack only to be met with two teenagers hashing out their feelings to each other.

Suyin and Lin looked at each other with sadness in their eyes, but both knew they had to protect everyone around them. Nima was a powerful bender who used her anger to bend lava and metal. The only ones who could stop lava were Bolin, Arnaq as a water bender, and possibly Opal as an air bender.

“Bolin, Arnaq, and I will stay here, it’d be best if we give them as much privacy as possible,” spoke Opal. 

Bolin could feel the lava coming up the surface as the yelling continued. “Do you remember it being this hard with Asami and Korra?” asked Bolin.

“Asami was right next to Korra in everything from the beginning to the very end,” answered Opal.

“Was it like this the first time?” asked Arnaq.

“No, there were just lots of tears. It was what came after that hurt the most,” replied Bolin.

Arnaq watched as mother and father held hands hoping for the best outcome in this love quarrel. For the first time in almost two years, the water bender thought about her family. She was an only child from the Southern Water Tribe and had hardly left her home before the Avatar came. 

Arnaq’s father was the water bender in the family but it was her mother who taught her the fundamentals of healing through spirituality. Her father taught her defense and how to use water bending as a weapon should the time call for it, but her non-bending mother taught her a softer side.

“Nima!” Yelled Zian. 

Bolin rushed in followed by Arnaq and Opal, and for the first time ever Arnaq saw Nima use her bending unhinged. The ground around them was broken and lava was leaking through the cracks. Opal's hands blocked Arnaq from walking any further and together the two women looked down. The young water bender saw how the ground beneath them was about to collapse and Nima was still explaining herself to Zian. 

Arnaq used her water bending to cool the earth beneath them. Nima could only pay attention to Zian who was now yelling at her about running away and being scared. “You’re telling me I’m scared when I just said I was! Even when it’s the two of us you still don’t listen to me!” yelled Nima.

Bolin looked at his daughter’s hand knowing she was angry and about to bend, even if she didn’t want to. Doing what he thought was right, Bolin bent the earth beneath Zian and pushed him out of the way. Then created a wall of lava to surround Nima which she immediately countered and turned to rock but it distracted her enough.

Breaking the rock around her, the first face she saw was her father, and it hurt. Even if he knew she could lava bend, the simple fact that he used such a dangerous and uncontrollable type of bending on his daughter, hurt so much more than anything Zian could say at that point. “Nima,” Bolin called out in sadness.

Opal and Arnaq went to Zian who was recovering from the idea that Bolin used earth bending against him. Bolin had tried to teach him lava bending years ago as he was the only one besides Nima, known to have the ability but decided to leave it to his daughter to teach the Avatar. He believed his time was over after Korra’s death, and now it was up to the next generation. Other than that, Zian had never felt Bolin used his bending against him specifically.

“You could have killed me!” said Nima.

“I know you are more than capable of taking care of yourself,” replied Bolin.

“Dad, you lava bent at me! I could have been burned or killed!” Nima now turned her anger towards her father.

“You did exactly what I expected you to do.”

Bolin walked towards Nima and opened his arms to bring her into a hug. While she resisted at first, eventually she gave in and relaxed in her father’s arms. Bolin had always been the affectionate person who talked about his feelings and encouraged others to do the same and it was a stark contrast to her mother. This emotional moment could only allow for Bolin.

“You are angry and that it is okay, but you have to remember that your bending is fueled by your anger right now and you can hurt people,” spoke Bolin.

Nima nodded to the best of her ability against her father's chest. “I’m sorry.”

“You do not need to be sorry for having emotions, just for the actions that they cause if they hurt others.”

Bolin kept Nima in a hug as Opal and Arnaq escorted Zian back to the house. Their quarrel was heard by Nima’s parents of all the people in the Beifong house which was embarrassing on its own. When Zian was finally left on his own it was Suyin who came up to him knowing the situation and gave him an apologetic look.

“I do not like being right in situations like this and I am sorry I am,” said Suyin as she placed her hand on Zian’s cheek.

A small gesture but it meant a lot because Zian had been mentored by her and the rest of the Beifongs. Suyin and Lin taught Zian the basics of earth bending before that job was handed over to Wei and Bolin. In the words of the great Toph Beifong, ‘You have to leave it to the kids sometimes’. 

Opal was one of Zian’s air bending teachers whenever Jinora was too busy with her duties to the Air Nation. It seemed so natural that Zian would end up dating one of Opal’s daughters. It just so happened to be Nima instead of the much older Ru and the younger Palden.

“I thought this time would be different,” whispered Zian.

“We all hope for the best. I hoped that you would wait a little longer to ask her to follow you around the world. You two are young, there is much to do before you settle down either together or apart. Perhaps talking with Lin would help since you two have much in common.”

Zian thought about it for a couple of seconds, “Where is she?”

“With Wei and Wing.”

Zian hugged Suyin before leaving the room. Lin was watching as the twins were playing power disc, something the two men invented and enjoyed before they lived their separate lives. Zian heard Lin give some comments to Wei about being too slow. He approached Lin who walked further away from the two brothers for privacy.

“Did my sister suggest you come and speak to me?”

“Yes. She said we have much in common.”

“I suppose we do. Legacies are so hard to ignore, they put so much pressure on a child even if we try and go against them or indulge them. My mother invented metal bending and helped end The Hundred Year War at twelve. I spent my life thinking if I became my mother then-” Lin could not finish that sentence.

Silence engulfed the two before Zian spoke to give Lin some time. “You and Tenzin never got back together.”

“We did not but we still loved each other after in another way. We were two kids who had to grow up with some of the most famous people in the world as parents. We looked to each other because there were only so few who could understand but we also loved each other for so many other reasons.” Every word Lin spoke, it had become harder and harder to speak. Never one to talk about her emotions, she had also rarely spoken about her relationship with Tenzin, especially after his death.

“Do you think Nima and I are going to have what Tenzin and you had? Your bending was taken away after you sacrificed your life to protect Tenzin and his family from Amon. That is the most powerful act of love I can think of. Nima even said she would rather have her bending taken away than to see me die.” Spirits, Lin wanted to scold Nima for saying that. Lin actually had her bending taken away decades ago and that empty feeling, she would not wish on any of her family to experience.

“Zian you have a duty to the world as the Avatar as Tenzin did as one of two last air benders in the world for a time. But do not think you must compare yourself to Tenzin, Aang, Korra, or anyone else. It will only make you ask more questions than give you answers. Nima is not me, even if it may seem like it and you are not Tenzin.”

“She said loving the Avatar meant living through my death.”

Lin thought about the two previous Avatars she has lived to see. “Katara was heartbroken after Aang’s death but she knew there would be another Avatar after him. When Korra was discovered she knew Aang was still with her in some way. She did love Korra as her own person but also knew there were parts of Aang she could still see. I see parts of Korra in you too and it probably brings comfort and heartache to Asami as well. We weren’t sure the cycle would continue after Korra but when we found you… our hope was restored.”

“Do you think she will see my death if we end up together? Is our destiny already written for us?” asked Zian, although he wasn’t fully asking Lin, just thinking out loud.

“I think that could be answered by Jinora.” Lin was already out of her element.

* * *

Zian, Arnaq, and Rinchen left the next day to Air Temple Island and it was an awkward ride back. Nima had left Zaofu for Republic City with her mother to go to the Spirit World. Opal stayed at Air Temple Island leaving Nima to journey to the spirit world alone. Her goal was simple, find peace, but that was easier said than done for a girl who used anger for bending. When her mother left her at the entrance of the spirit portal, she was recognized by some of the air benders.

Nima stared at the entrance and couldn’t bring herself to move. Instead, she had an air bender come up to her with a smile on his face. “Hello Nima, right?”

“Yes, hello. I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.”

“Rakesh, we met a very long time ago. You seemed hesitant to go in and I just wanted to tell you, you aren’t the first to feel the way.”

“Oh, thank you. I… feel unworthy of such a world.” laughed Nima.

“Maybe you need to start somewhere else? If the spirit world is too much then maybe starting with the temples would be better.”

“And what are you offering? A ride?” 

“You are a Beifong, I’m sure that you can find a way to get across to the three temples.”

Nima went to the nearest telephone trying to call the last person she wanted. “Hello?”

“It’s Nima.”

“Why are you calling?”

“I need your help.”

“No.”

“Ru please!” yelled Nima in frustration.

“For what?”

“Inner peace.”

Ru laughed, “Spirits Nima, you achieve peace? What happened?”

“I’m scared and angry… and I don’t want to be anymore.”

Nima heard Ru breathe out before letting out a loud groan, “I can’t just leave… not yet at least. Let me talk with Meelo.”

“Thank you.”

Ru was the twenty-five-year-old daughter of Opal and Bolin. She was the eldest of five and an air bender who assisted Meelo in running the Southern Air Temple. When Ru was sixteen, she left Air Temple Island to travel the world but it was mostly to escape her family. Opal is a good mother to her children but the Beifongs had a habit of giving their children much free reign. It stemmed from Toph Beifong's strict upbringing and just continued on to the next generation and no one ever objected. 

Bolin, losing his parents so young had never fully grasped the idea of being a father and it was not his fault that he was not a strict parent. Mako, having raised his brother on the streets and cared for him even after they found a second family with Korra and the Beifong’s, was troubled when he found out Opal was pregnant with Ru and every other child they had after that. Bolin was a loving father and sometimes smothered his children, a small contrast to Opal who was more emotionally distant than her husband. Their loose parenting, aiding the avatar, and traveling, oftentimes left Ru in charge. 

Ru learned to hate her life as any teenager does and wanted to leave all responsibility behind so that meant leaving her family behind. Nima was just ten years old when Ru left to travel the world. Nima spent years with little to no contact with her sister thus creating a strained relationship. Once Ru had left, so did Nima’s other older siblings.

Wangchuk left two years later, at sixteen too. Now twenty-three years old, he traveled the world as the air benders before him. Then there was Ping who left at the same time as Wangchuk and got married to an Air Acolyte named Choden a month after meeting each other in Ba Sing Se. Marriage at fourteen had shocked family and friends, but Ping and Choden had been happily married for seven years now. Nima watched as three of her siblings left her and Palden alone. To say Nima was resentful would be a complicated statement. 

It took a whole day before Nima heard from Ru and rather than receive a phone call, Ru showed up on top of her flying bison. “A phone call would have been nice.”

“Well, I’m here so get up.”

Nima made steps to get on top of Ru’s companion. “Where are we going?”

“The Western Air Temple.”

“Why are we going there?”

“We’re picking up Wangchuk.”

“He’s in the Western Air Temple? I thought he was at Ba Sing Se? How long has he been there?” asked Nima.

“He left there after some earth nation guy dumped him. He’s only been there for a couple of weeks.”

“He never wrote or called,” said Nima.

“I guess he was heartbroken.”

“You never really wrote or called either.”

“I’m busy. Besides, I’m here now.”

Picking up Wangchuk was awkward as the three siblings had to spend days with each other for the first time in years. Nima wanted to ask what they’ve been up to or why they weren’t at Zaofu, but it never felt like the right time. 

While eating together in silence Wangchuk spoke first, “So how are you and Zian?”

Ru gave her brother a look but he was oblivious. “We broke up almost two years ago,” answered Nima.

“Oh… seeing anyone new?” asked Wangchuk in slight embarrassment. 

“No… are you?”

“Ru told you.”

“Yeah, since I’ve never heard from you. What was his name?”

“Kangzhi.”

“Well, he was stupid for breaking things off.”

“And Zian was stupid for breaking things off.”

“I actually broke things off with him.”

“Seriously?” asked Ru.

“He wanted me to leave when he began his duties as the Avatar and I didn’t want to leave home,” answered Nima

“But you left home either way.” countered Ru.

“Yeah well, wasn’t really a part of the plan but here we are.”

“You were always so scared to leave Air Temple Island,” said Ru.

“Someone had to stay and help since you three just left.”

“Let’s not start,” said Wangchuk, hoping the two women would just drop it before the argument continued.

“No, no, let’s hear her out,” said Ru in an angry manner that Nima hadn’t seen in an air bender for a very long time.

“You three left me and Palden alone. You left like family didn’t matter and I had to pick up everything. I stayed and helped take care of the Air Temple, mom and dad, and Palden. I was a child!” yelled Nima.

“I was a child too! I was a child taking care of Wangchuk when mom and dad and everyone we loved went to go fight with the Avatar. Every time I wondered ‘How will I tell them that our parents and everyone we know are dead!’ Every two years you were all born and I had to take care of all of you whenever everyone left. I wanted my own life! I wanted to not have to worry about you four and everyone else.” yelled Ru.

“I wanted my sister and you left!” yelled Nima as she pointed to Ru before turning her attention to her eldest brother. “And you left too and took Ping with you. Two years and you three left and I never heard from you! Imagine me sitting on the beach crying because I missed my brothers and sister and you two were just okay with leaving!” Nima was pointing at Wangchuk but ended up giving her attention back to Ru.

“Nima I missed you and Palden every day since I left,” confessed Ru.

“So did I.” agreed Wangchuk.

“You were dating the Avatar and a Beifong. It’s not exactly hard to find out what you are doing. Wangchuk here is just forgetful but we knew that Zian and you are not together anymore.”

“Bad memory, remember.” smiled Wangchuk.

“I never heard anything about you.”

“Well, we’re here now. Ask your questions.”

Years of memories, failed romances, and amazing journeys across the four nations came up. Wangchuk and Ru, despite being so young, had experiences that so many could only dream of.

“Get up.”

“What time is it?” asked Nima.

“We’re close to where we need to go.”

“And where are we going exactly?”

“A special place. Now come on, let’s go.”

Ru led her younger siblings through a forest before stopping right in the middle. “Ru what is this?”

“This is where our famous great-grandmother invented metal bending.”

“How do you know?” asked Wangchuk.

“She took me here before she died and it was discovered I was an air bender. I guess it was her way of saying this is me and you are you and I didn’t need to live up to her legacy. She never did that with grandma and aunt Lin or mom and our uncles, so she wanted to change things. I was her first great-grandchild after all,” explained Ru.

“That was easy for you because you’re an air bender. I was barely walking when I started bending and was 12 when I started lava bending. All my life I’ve been compared to her.”

“You were and the world… we should have never done that to you. We have been shown what can happen when we put a lot of pressure on a child.” Ru put her hand on Nima’s cheek letting her younger sister lean into the gesture. Nima placed her hand over Ru’s in a tender moment, the first they shared in years. 

Ending the moment was Wangchuk. “Again, what are we doing here? I’m just a bit confused.”

“We are going to meditate. This was the beginning of Toph Beifong’s legacy but you must come to terms that it is not yours.”

“I know that.” countered Nima.

“But do you know it here?” asked Ru as she placed her hand over her own heart.

“Alright, fine.” By the trees, the three meditated next to each other, but Nima had given up in frustration after ten minutes. “What exactly am I waiting for?”

“You’ll know when it happens. Now start meditating again.”

Nima rolled her eyes and got into position again. They spent most of the day meditating and went day after day to the same place. Nima was getting frustrated because nothing was happening. On the ninth day, Nima had already been meditating for hours until she started crying. Once the tears started, they didn’t stop and she was engulfed in hugs.

When she was done crying Ru gave her a small smile, “Tell us why you were crying.”

“I spend years thinking I shouldn’t run away because people need me. I thought if I stayed and surrounded myself with family then I wouldn’t be so alone… but I did feel alone. For years all I heard about how I’m going to achieve great things but I don’t want to achieve great things because other people tell me. I turned that into anger and I don’t want to be angry anymore.” confessed Nima.

“You don’t and shouldn’t have to keep things in Nima.”

The three left for Zaofu to which Ru explained the significance of the city. Suyin and Baatar Sr, Nima’s grandparents had fallen in love and founded the magnificent city. It was established Suyin in the world as someone other than Toph Beifong's younger daughter. For Opal, it was where she met Bolin for the first time and gained her bending after Harmonic Convergence. Zaofu was important to every aspect of Nima’s life.

The Metal Clan embraced the three but they were clear that they were in Zaofu with a purpose. Nima wanted to spend time with her family but Ru was clear that they needed to meditate. This time, it took Nima almost three weeks before she made a breakthrough but this time was much different. Instead of tears, Nima had yelled at the top of her lungs as the ground in front of her broke. It was like a giant wave on the ground destroying everything along the way. Nima collapsed on the ground in exhaustion as Ru and Wangchuk embraced her. 

Feeling the movements, Ru could see their family run to them in worry. Nima’s back was towards them, while she could not see them, she could feel their movements. The destruction of the surrounding area was powerful.

“You did good. Now we go to Republic City,” said Ru.

The entrance of the third spirit portal was daunting. Even with her brother and sister by her side, Nima could not muster up the courage to step inside. A friendly face greeted her too.

“Nima! It’s great to see you again.”

“Rakesh. How are you?”

“Great. It’s great to see you again. Are they your brother and sister?” asked Rakesh.

“Yes, this is Ru and Wangchuk.”

“It’s great to meet you all. Are you going to go into the spirit world now?”

“I am… I think.”

“Well, I hope for the best. The spirit world is… beautiful.”

“Thank you.” smiled Nima.

Once Rakesh was out of earshot Wangchuk looked at his sisters with an eyebrow raised, “And who is that?” 

“Rakesh, he’s an air bender from the temple. He was here when I attempted to enter the spirit world the first time.”

“He’s easy on the eyes,” commented Wangchuk.

“I guess.”

“That’s it? The poor boy definitely had heart eyes for you and you couldn’t even tell.” laughed Wangchuk.

“He did not have heart eyes for me,” argued Nima.

“Well, I’m sure he thought you were beautiful. You look like grandma and she was beautiful.” smiled Ru.

“Thanks for the compliment but now I want to jump into the portal just to get away from this conversation.”

“Go ahead then.”

Rolling her eyes, Nima took a deep breath and took her first step. Closing her eyes upon entrance she almost passed out from lack of breath. Opening her eyes Nima was taken back by the sheer beauty of the spirit world. The colors were magnificent and brought her to tears. Looking behind her, Nima was left alone which brought some sadness to her but at the same time, she understood that this journey was hers alone.

Nima was drawn to the tree she read about in books. The Tree of Time. Jinora had taught her that the tree was connected the two worlds and held all memories thanks to its cosmic energy. For almost 10,000 years the tree imprisoned Vaatu and was the scene of the destruction of the Avatar’s past lives. She read about that day in books and from eyewitness accounts but the most graphic was the nightmares Zian had.

“Guess I go into the tree?”

Avatar Korra went to the tree after the situation with Vaatu, it didn’t really help Korra, but Nima was hoping it would help her. Nima wasn’t sure what would happen, but it was worth a try. Stepping into the tree was scary but she knew she had to meditate.

“Okay, tree of life I’ve been trying to find peace. I don’t want to be angry anymore. I know everyone has a purpose in life, I just want to find mine if that’s possible. I’m tired of hearing everyone else speak for me.” confessed Nima. There was only silence and Nima laughed. “I thought talking would help.” Continuing on with the meditating, Nima thought about her family and the good memories she shared with them. Air Temple Island, Zaofu, the Northern Water Tribe, and the Fire Nation.

Then Nima felt something like a punch to her chest. Her nose felt stuffy and her cheeks were wet, she was crying but didn’t understand why. The next thing she hears is this loud noise coming from behind and Nima is immediately scared. Something was smelling her, but then she smelled them back. It licked her and she licked the animal back.

The feeling of the earth was gone and replaced with the coldness of metal, it finally hit Nima that she was no longer in the Tree of Time instead she was in a metal box with no one around her. She had no control over the movements. It was as if she was living someone else’s life. Nima felt hands rip open the metal box and then she realized what was going on.

It was the creation of metal bending. She was seeing the past through her great-grandmother's and it was as beautiful as the spirit world itself. Soon the feeling of metal was gone and replaced by the strong grip of one of her hands. Nima was hanging on to someone and could feel the strength of the wind and her feet searching for ground… for safety. 

The only thing she felt was fingers holding onto hers for dear life. The hand was shaking, losing strength and she wasn’t sure how long she was hanging on, but she was slipping. It was terrifying to think this was something Toph Beifong went through. “I don’t think boomerang is coming back Toph. It looks like this is the end.” Nima felt more tears and then heard a large crash.

Instead of falling, everything changed. Nima felt exhausted but her hands reached out for something. Then there was weight put in her arms and she heard the sounds of a baby. It was Lin, or maybe Suyin. When Nima heard the word mommy, she knew that her aunt Lin and the baby she was holding was her grandmother Suyin.

“Why don’t we leave uncle Sokka and your mom to talk for a bit.” It was a woman, but Nima didn’t know who it was. 

The door closed and Nima heard a man’s voice first. _Uncle Sokka_ was Master Katara’s brother so the woman was probably Katara. This was her grandmother’s birth but she didn’t understand why they would need some privacy after such an event. 

“She’s beautiful Toph.”

“Is she okay?” asked Toph as she touched Suyin’s face.

“She’s perfect.”

Then there was silence. “I’m sorry for what I said, but we can’t-.”

“I know,” interrupted Sokka.

“It’s not fair to anyone.”

“I know.”

“No one can know. It’s all for the better.”

“I can be their father, Lin, and Suyin’s. You know I would do it with no hesitation. I don’t care what anyone says.” There was so much hurt in his voice. 

“Sokka, you can’t.”

“I’ll leave the council. We can go south and make this work.”

“We can’t do that. You can’t give up everything. Not for me.”

“I can. I love you and I love them”

Nima felt tears and a warm hand covers hers, or Tophs depending on how you choose to see things. The next thing Nima knows, the weight of a baby is gone. Instead, she can only feel sadness, guilt, and a tightness in her chest. Nima doesn’t know where she is but she feels everything her great-grandmother is feeling. 

Two hands grab onto hers and Nima thinks they might be Lin and Suyin’s but one of them is too big. She can hear people crying in the background and the coldness surrounding them. They are in the South, it was the only place that would make sense considering Katara and Sokka were from there. The aching, the crying… it was a funeral. 

“Toph we have to go.”

“Just a couple more minutes.”

“Here.” This necklace was placed in her hands but it felt weird, Nima couldn’t place what type it was. They just felt like rough square shapes. “I think he would want you to have this. Whenever you are ready, there is some of his stuff I want to give you.”

The voice came from the right, so that was Katara. It made sense considering the hand and position. Nima wondered who was holding Toph’s other hand. Her only guess was Firelord Zuko but she would not get confirmation because the feeling left. Now Nima was left guessing where she was.

Now on a bed, there was something different than the previous memories Nima was going through. She felt weak and could hear commotion all around her. So many footsteps around her and children laughing distantly as they were scolded by Suyin and Lin. Nima understood where she was, Toph Beifong’s deathbed. Nima was 2 when she died and had no memory of that time or of her great-grandmother. She could only rely on the memories of everyone else.

One by one, everyone fussed around Toph, and from what Nima understood, probably drove the older woman crazy. “I am the last. I think fire pants would be angry to know that.” laughed Toph in a small whisper.

Next thing she knows Nima gasps awake in the Tree of Time. She left out a laugh as tears continued down her face, “And I thought our attitude was the only hereditary thing but I guess being hesitant in love is too.” Nima stayed a little longer to just cry things out before deciding that she needed to go deeper into the spirit world. “Thank you for helping me and showing me those memories, Tree of Time, and thank you for giving me a piece of my family.”

Bowing, Nima left the tree and looked around. She didn’t know exactly where she was going but she had always been told that the spirits would come to her. Starting her journey, Nima walked for what seemed like hours trying to remember her lessons. Jinora and her mother tried to teach her as if she was an air bender or an air acolyte but she wasn’t either. 

Ending up in the barren forest was the last thing she wanted but in the spirit world, it meant that was what she was looking for deep down. The description of Koh, the face stealer, and where he lived, she knew from nightmares and her brothers teasing. It was perhaps the only spirit who had shown themself to her so it had to mean something. She had to not show any emotion or else Koh would steal her face and possess knowledge about the future.

Taking a deep breath, Nima started walking until she came face to face with the spirit. Koh looked like a spider or something that Nima could not name. The face was of a young woman and Nima did not flinch. “Welcome… such a pretty young face.”

Nima bowed at the spirit having been taught to show them the utmost respect in all situations by Jinora. “Thank you.”

“It’s been so long since I’ve stolen a face of the Avatar’s lover.” Koh switched face to give Nima a smirk but she did not flinch. “So how may I help you?”

“I want to know my destiny,” answered Nima.

“Destiny is something you can not run away just as your legacy. It had long been written. To know drives some humans to their death.”

“What is my destiny?” repeated Nima as she was careful to not move a muscle on her face.

Koh smirked at her with another face. “You will hold the world in your arms as it takes its last breath. You will drown in your grief and when the pain finally consumes you, you will birth it’s savior.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Those who are destined to destroy the world, rarely have the opportunity to save it. You should have asked about fate.”

“Are fate and destiny not the same?” asked Nima.

Koh laughed at her before changing his face again, “You humans know so little.” 

“Then what is my fate?” 

“Life and death.”

“Is that my legacy?”

“Doom, death, and disaster.”

“Thank you for speaking with me. I will be leaving now.” Nima bowed.

“We will meet again.”

Nima didn’t want to run out of there but she did. She had to get out of the spirit world as fast as possible. Getting out was a bit harder because she didn’t realize where to start. Taking some time to meditate, Nima thought maybe a spirit would help her, and she was right. The beam of little swarmed around her before heading in the opposite direction.

When she stepped out of the spirit portal, Ru and Wangchuk ran up to Nima with so many questions. “What happened in there?”

“Come on, we have somewhere to go.” Nima was running at some point, knowing exactly where she was going. Reaching her destination, Nima looked up at the giant statue in front of the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center.

“Why are we here?”

“I went into the Tree of Time asking for answers to why I’m scared and angry. I thought it was going to show me something about my past, but it showed me someone else’s… our great-grandmother.”

“I don’t understand how that connects,” said Wangchuk.

“She loved our great-grandfather very much but they couldn’t be together. She was scared of her feelings for years. I felt everything she felt, it was painful among other things.”

“The rumors are true then?” asked Ru.

Nima nodded at her, “She loved him until the day she died. I think she was scared, the same way I am, just a slight difference.”

The three of them looked up at the statue of Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, Council Member of Republic City, Chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe. Sokka, _their great-grandfather_. “I guess the family tree is complete.” joked Ru.

“Do… do we tell grandma Su? Do we tell mom?” asked Wangchuk.

“Do we tell the entire family? We can’t keep this from them,” asked Ru.

“There’s more, after I left the Tree of Time I felt like there was more to look for. I met with Koh, the face stealer. I asked about my destiny, my legacy.”

“Nima, meeting with him is dangerous, and asking about the future is dangerous too,” argued Ru.

“I know, I know, but he told me that I am going to destroy the world.”

“What? How?” asked Wangchuk.

“I don’t know. He just said I will destroy the world and save it.”

“What exactly did he say?”

“Something about holding the world in my arms as it dies and then when everything hits its breaking point I will birth the world's savior. I am death and life.”

“Koh speaks in riddles and metaphors. You can’t take everything it says to heart, his whole idea is that he wants to confuse you. Some spirits enjoy tricking humans, it's part of their hatred for us.”

“We have to go to Zaofu and no one will mention Koh. I don’t want anyone to worry.”

“Keeping Koh a secret is a bad idea.”

“I’ll tell them eventually, I just want to get through the whole, Tree of Time thing first. Ru, you wouldn’t believe it, I felt everything she felt. I felt the first time someone ever metal bending, the happiness she felt moving the metal for the first time.”

Ru smiled, “Come on, we have to head to Zaofu before nightfall.”

* * *

Suyin could see the fight going on in Nima’s head. Anyone could see it in her brow and fingertips. “Maybe sitting down would make things go easier.”

“No, no, if I sit down, I… I don’t want to sit.”

“Ru said you have something important to tell me.”

“I went into the spirit world.”

“That’s good to hear. How was it?”

“Beautiful… I went into the Tree of Life. I used anger for my bending and I didn’t want to anymore, but it showed me something else I didn’t expect. It was like I was living her life, great-grandma Toph. I felt everything she felt, it was amazing. I felt her metal bend for the first time, I felt her hold you for the first time.”

Suyin could feel herself start to get emotional, “What else did you feel?”

“Her love for you, aunt Lin, and Sokka,” answered Nima as the tears finally let go.

“Sokka was a good man.” smiled Suyin as some memories came back.

“He loved her, he was going to give up everything to be the father you needed. But they couldn’t be together.”

“Life is rarely fair,” replied Suyin.

“You knew?” asked Nima as she wiped the tears away.

“It wasn’t hard to figure out but I never said anything out of respect for my mother and for him. He was always there and I knew nothing would really change if he and mom became more. He saw me get married, he saw me have my first couple of children, he was there for all my greatest accomplishments, minus a few but nonetheless there for so many. I did wish things were different when I was younger, but now I understand that it was for the best. Nima, I’m sorry I never told you or anyone else the truth.”

“No, no there’s no need to be sorry.”

“You all deserved to know… I assumed I was protecting them and their legacy. You can tell the rest of the family whenever you’d like but I ask that everyone is here in case there are questions.”

“I’ll send word to Huan and Wing to come to Zaofu.”

* * *

While Nima was discovering her destiny and family, Zian was with Jinora. His journey as the Avatar was now on his chakras. It had been only a couple of days after leaving Zaofu that Jinora watched the young man become more confident. His earth and air bending had grown beyond what Jinora thought was possible. Because of Zian’s hesitation, Jinora believed it would take Zian longer to learn things other benders learned. 

“There are seven chakras that are located throughout your body. You will unlock all seven today.”

“I’m ready.”

“You are the Avatar and my grandfather wrote that Avatar Yangchen told him that the Avatar is a mortal being so they must experience life to understand how precious it is. You are tasked with protecting the world from your first breath to your last. Zian, you can never truly detach yourself from the world.”

“I understand.”

“We will start with the earth chakra. It deals with survival and is blocked by fear. It is located at the base of the spine. Are you ready?” asked Jinora.

“Yes.”

“Concentrate and think about what you are most afraid of.”

Zian thought about losing Arnaq and Rinchen because of him. Having his parents die because of him. Dozens of people who helped raise and were raised with Zian in the Fire Nation, Southern Water Tribe, Zaofu, and Air Temple Island flashed in his mind. Dying an early death and leading the world into chaos. Being killed in a fight with a stronger bender. Worst of all, thousands of people dying because he failed to protect them.

Jinora watched as Zian tensed up and started to cry. “What you are seeing is not real. None of those things will happen Zian.” He nodded at her as those thoughts vanished away. “You have opened the earth chakra.”

They moved to the water where Zian and Nima spent many long hours together. He liked to believe that Jinora didn’t know the significance of the spot, but that's probably why she chose it in the first place. 

“Water chakra right? We have to be near water for this?” asked Zian.

“Yes and yes. Water Chakra is pleasure and is blocked by guilt. Think about everything you feel guilty for.”

The first thing Zian thought of was Nima. He still had feelings for the earth bender and it wasn’t fair because she ended things with him. And at the time where he needed her more than ever. He started his duties as the Avatar when all he craved was the simplicity of living on Air Temple Island and the normalcy Nima gave him. With everyone else, no matter how much they tried not to acknowledge it, he was the Avatar, but with Nima, he was simply Zian.

But even deeper guilt he felt was failing to be the Avatar the world needed. Zian spent his life in safety with little to worry about when he knew there were people struggling and dying all over the world. He lived comfortably as the current Avatar, but he also understood there was much work to be done. 

“What do you blame yourself for?”

“Nima… the world still in chaos as I live happily with my friends and family.”

“You are one man, and if one man or woman, your past lives I should clarify, could not save the world then you should not carry that burden alone… they did not. The world’s problems cannot be fixed in a day, let alone a lifetime. As the world evolves, new problems will arise and you cannot expect to solve them all at once. Forgive yourself as a man who has been given the ultimate task and will do his very best.”

Zian unlocked the second chakra as they moved into the temple. It was covered in candles as a way to symbolize the fire. 

“The third is will power and is blocked by shame. Think about what you are ashamed of, what are your biggest disappointments.”

Unlocking the third chakra hit the hardest for Zian. He thought about his earth bending and trying to metal bend with the Beifongs and how he could never move a thing. Nima tried to teach him lava bending but he couldn’t do that either. His water bending was decent but he couldn’t heal or do any of the other sub-bendings. His air bending was again decent, and his fire bending was the most neglected. 

Jinora watched him cry again. “I will go down as the weakest Avatar the world has ever seen. I only ever wanted to be worthy of such a position. Korra, Aang, I want to be worthy enough to call myself the Avatar as them.”

“You are the same. Slight differences in every generation, but your love, motivation, fears, and everything else remains the same.”

They moved to the meditation pavilion for the next chakra.

“This is the air chakra right?” asked Zian.

“Yes, it is the chakra of love and blocked by grief.”

Zian could only think of one person, Korra. He had yet to lose someone he loved in his life, but the grief of Korra remained in his mind for years. He started getting nightmares years ago but chose to ignore them until they became too much. It was Jinora who told him they weren’t nightmares, they were memories, Korra’s memories. 

Korra had her bending taken away at just seventeen, just a year younger than he was now. At eighteen Korra had Raava ripped out of her and lost the connection to her past lives by her uncle out of all people. Then Zaheer poisoned her with the goal of ending the Avatar state and being suffocated by him when he failed the first time. Zian felt everything, the pain, and agony of it all. Mere seconds away from death, Suyin Beifong took out the poison but that could not stop the emptiness and shame Korra felt after. 

Korra blamed herself for so long and Zian felt broken. If someone as powerful as Korra could go through so much in such a short couple of years, then what was he going to face? She died at the age of thirty-five after years of physical and mental injuries, it shocked Zian that she had died so young but also that she had survived that long. 

“Korra.” Jinora was a bit taken back that the grief Zian was experiencing was his past life. Zian saw Korra stand in front of him with a smile on her face. His first and only thought was to give her a hug but as he reached forward, Korra faced change as if she was in pain. This darkness surrounded her as she grabbed her neck and if she was suffocating. 

Jinora saw the trouble all over his face. “Korra understood the responsibility of being the Avatar when she was just five years old. She went through so much but she had so many people who loved her to help. You cannot go through life alone, she did not, and you are not. Asami was her greatest love and she was there through all the hard times, but also knew that Korra needed space as well. Love is a powerful thing Zian and I promise you that you have and will always have someone to love you.”

Zian opened his eyes and wiped away the tears. Korra did have love in her life and so did he. They came in the form of parents and friends. He will always have love in his life.

“I’m ready for the next one.”

“The fifth chakra is the sound chakra. It is about truth and blocked by-”

“Lies,” answered Zian.

Jinora smiled at his eagerness. “Yes, lies.”

He remembered all the times he thought about being a bad Avatar. Deep down inside, probably thanks to Raava, he knew that wasn’t true. Jinora told him he was the same person reincarnated beneath everything and now he was slowly starting to believe it. He was lying to himself for years. 

“You are the Avatar Zian and you will never be alone in this journey. The position the world has placed upon you is a daunting task but one you will never do alone.”

“I am Zian and I am the Avatar.” smiled Zian.

“Now we move on to the sixth chakra you will unlock.”

“What happens if I can’t unlock it?”

“You will, I have no doubt about it. Now the light chakra is about insight and is blocked by illusion. My grandfather was taught the great illusion is separation. We are connected and though separated by benders and non-benders, the four elements, or the four nations, we are one.”

“The elements are one and we rely on each other for balance.”

“Yes, and now for the final chakra.” Jinora and Zian went to a special spot of Tenzin, Jinora’s father. It was a part of the temple that looked to Avatar Aang’s statue. “The thought chakra is about pure cosmic energy and is blocked by worldly attachments.”

“I thought I had to hold on to worldly attachments to be the Avatar?” asked Zian.

“Think about what attaches you to this world.” Zian thought about his parents, the Beifongs, and the Air Nation. The people who helped raise him and the people who loved him, who were one and the same. “And let them go.”

“What?”

“Let them go. Letting go is not forgetting Zian. It is simply like letting the world keep onto those memories for you.”

“Uh… okay.”

He saw himself at the end of this path. Walking towards it, Zian felt something change within him. Jinora saw as Zian opened his eyes, and she was meant with glowing eyes that she would see in Korra. She teared up knowing the young Avatar could now go in and out of the Avatar state of his own will.

Opening his eyes, Jinora gave him a big smile and a hug. “I am so proud of you. It is an honor to see the man you have become in all these years. You have greatness ahead of you.”

* * *

It took about a week before Suyin’s children and grandchildren had all come to Zaofu. The night didn’t come fast enough, and Nima went to the nearest body of water to relax. Sitting by the shore, Nima looked up at the moon.

“I guess it explains why I like coming here when the moon is at its peak. You saved the world Princess Yue, and you saved Sokka. You loved him and you promised to look after him. I’m lucky that extends to his family as well… thank you.” The wave crashed with a loud noise that Nima believed to be a ‘Your welcome’ from Princess Yue. “I wish I could have met him, he was a good man from everything I heard. You were his first love and you never stopped loving him. I hope I can be as brave as you. I love Zian, I would die for him, but I did not want to be the thing standing between him becoming the great Avatar he was meant to be.”

Taking a deep breath in, Nima got up and walked towards the shore. Every wave, she got in deeper until the water reached her neck. Before the neck wave could hit her, Nima took a deep breath in and went down into the water. She stayed under the water until her lungs started to burn and swam to the top gasping for air. Swimming back to shore, Nima took one last look up at the moon. 

Returning back to her room, Nima got stares from everyone because she was soaking wet. Her mother was the only one to approach her. “I know things are all over the place right now, but I need to say this… if there is ever a time you need to talk, come to me or your father.”

“Thanks, mom.”

Nima went back to her room and looked around at the pictures that covered the wall. Three pictures stood out the most because of who was in them. The first was packed with too many people in it, but that was the whole idea. Suyin’s birthday, Nima never remembered which one, but it had everyone.

Suyin was being carried by Toph who Sokka and Aang each had an arm around. Ty Lee was with Katara help carrying the cake. Suki squished between Sokka and Zuko with Mai and their daughter Izumi right in front of them. Izumi was leaning on Kya who had her hand on top of Tenzin’s head. Bumi was making a funny face as an annoyed Lin was trying to get away from him. It was a whole other era that Nima had heard about her entire life. 

The second picture was the first birthday of Kenji and Takashi in the Fire Nation Royal Palace. Kenji and Takashi were in the center being carried by their mother and father. Standing next to Wing was Wei and Baatar who carried Ping and Wangchuk in their arms. Nima and Palden were being carried by their parents, with Nima being in her father's arms. Mako was carrying an eight-year-old Ru in his arms. 

On the other side of Urza was her brother Firelord Iroh and his two sons Lu Ten and Zuko. Huan and Eska were doing their best at smiling for the picture with their five-year-old twins Panuk and Atuat standing in front of them. Suyin, Lin, and Baatar Sr were sitting in chairs in front of everyone. 

Completing the picture was the air benders. Kai and Jinora were each holding one of their daughters in their arms. Ikki was heavily pregnant with her second child as her husband carried their daughter Jinpa. Meelo and Rohan had their arms around each other’s shoulders with their mother standing right in front of them with a big smile. 

Another era that Nima heard about her entire life. The last picture was the sixteenth birthday of Zian, it was a couple of hours before he was told he had to leave Air Temple Island and travel the world for his Avatar duties. Zian had his arms around Nima’s waist and the two of them had these big smiles on their face, unknowingly ignorant about what was going to happen in a matter of days and then years later.

There were some Beifongs surrounding the young couple with Prince Zuko right next to Zian. Tashi, Palden, Dechen, and Jinpa were right next to them. It was a small gathering and not everyone could make it, but Nima remembered so many gifts being sent with apologies attached to them. Zian was treated as a member of her family, and Nima remembered all those times when she was told as a child, ‘You will serve the Avatar as the Beifongs have done for centuries’ by everyone around her.

Taking down every last picture on her four walls, Nima looked around. Random trinkets, clothes she either outgrew or never bothered to wear, and lots of metal she would turn into jewelry or toys since she was a child. Standing up, Nima went to her window staring up at the moon again. 

“I can’t destroy the world if I choose to do nothing… or perhaps that is how I destroy the world. Either way, I will decide my life.”

Using earth bending, Nima skated to a place with more earth than metal, and in Zaofu that meant going far away from the city. It was becoming a habit to get away from Zaofu, her family, her clan, and she didn’t understand if the world was telling her what to do or not to do. Once she was far away, Nima took off her boots and dug her feet into the ground.

The feeling of the earth was different this time and looking up at the moon, Nima created a column as high as she could. The air was growing thinner but she kept her eyes on the moon and reached for it. Her head was starting to hurt and it was getting more difficult to breathe. She was past the clouds and the ground beneath her was slowing down. Looking down, Nima let one leg dangle off the side until leaning forward and falling. The air was cold and Nima let herself continue falling even though there were half a dozen ways to stop.

That’s when she saw it. A hand reached out to her and Nima first thought it was Princess Yue, but the hand had tape wrapped around their wrists. Then she thought it was her grandmother or one of her uncles, but the face was different yet familiar. All she could see was blue before a body collided with hers and an arm wrapped around her waist. Wei used metal bending to secure her to his waist as Lin and Suyin used metal cables to safely bring them down. Even with help, Wei used a lot of his energy from crashing the two of them into the ground. 

“What were you doing up there?!” yelled Suyin.

“Are you okay!?” yelled Lin.

“I needed answers.”

“And falling to your death was giving you an answer? Your lucky Wei saw a random column outside his window and called us.” argued Lin.

“Sweetie, what were you doing?”

“I needed answers,” repeated Nima.

“What did you see?” asked Wei.

“Wei! Don’t encourage this,” yelled Suyin.

“A hand and a face. An arm with tape like grandma has. He looked like uncle Baatar and uncle Huan.”

“Sokka,” said Lin.

“Nima you cannot endanger your life for these hallucinations.”

“They feel real.”

“What if she is seeing him?” asked Lin.

“Nonsense.”

“Nima is starting to get spiritual. This could be a change like I went through. She has gone into the spirit world and gone into the Tree of Time where she lived mom’s memories. Maybe it was something in the world giving her peace of mind or a sign of something. I am the last person to say they know about spiritual stuff but it’s worth looking into.” fought Lin.

“I will call Jinora and see if she or Kai can come to Zaofu.”

“We have to tell them,” whispered Nima.

Jinora was busy with Zian to leave for Zaofu but Suyin insisted that the air bending family all come. Ikki with her children, Meelo, and Rohan were the first to arrive but Jinora and her family had some other duties to attend to before they could come. Kai stayed on Air Temple Island with Zian but their daughters left with Jinora. The air benders were on edge because Suyin had just explained they needed to come to Zaofu as early as possible for important news.

“Su, why are we all here?” asked Ikki.

“Nima should explain.”

Nima stood up and went to the center of the room surrounded by her family. Taking a deep breath in, “I wanted to not have to rely on anger for my bending. I wanted to not be afraid anymore. I wanted to find enlightenment of the sorts and knew that meant letting go. I went into the Tree of Time thinking it would show me my memories and I could work through them.” explained Nima.

She looked at Jinora in shame, “It didn’t show your memories did it?” asked Jinora.

“No, it didn’t.”

“The Tree of Time is complicated. We are barely learning what it’s even capable of,” said Ikki.

“It showed me Toph Beifong’s memories.”

“What kind of memories?” asked Meelo.

“Only a few. Some lasted a minute and others lasted longer. The first was weird, I was on the ground and something licked me. The second was the creation of metal bending and it was magnificent but that was a short memory. The next thing I know, I was holding on to someone’s hand and I was in the air. It was Sokka and he said boomerang wasn’t coming back.” Nima stopped because she started crying and it was because she remembered the fear.

“Take your time.” smiled Bolin.

“The next memory was the day grandma was born and I felt the joy and relief she felt holding you,” said Nima, mostly directed at her grandmother. Lin was sitting right next to Suyin, and Nima turned slightly towards her, “I felt the love she felt for you too, and Sokka. I felt nothing but love and sacrifice when Sokka told Toph he loved her and you, aunt Lin. It felt like my heart was going burst and he wanted to be a father to both of you.”

“And I always thought what happened to Firelord Zuko’s mother was a huge story.” joked Jinora.

“He is my father, like I told Nima, for years I thought I was protecting him and mom, their legacy, but I was wrong to keep it for so long especially from the people I love,” confessed Suyin as Lin gave her younger sister a hug.

“We’re related to Master Katara? Cool,” said Panuk, Huan’s twenty-year-old son. Panuk was a Prince of the Northern Water Tribe and a skilled water bender. Eska was a twin and Huan had twin brothers, so it did not come as a surprise that Eska would give birth to twins herself. Panuk was the oldest and his twin was Princess Atuat, another skilled water bender. Uniquely, the two had different fighting styles and were not in sync while fighting like their uncles Wei and Wing or their mother Eska and uncle Desna.

“Do you think we can blood bend?” whispered Atuat. Atuat decided a couple of years ago that she would not follow in her mother’s footsteps and became Co-Chief of the Northern Water Tribe with her twin brother. Atuat went around the Northern Water Tribe teaching young women how to use combative water bending which until a hundred years ago, was frowned upon.

While combative water bending was allowed for females, they were rarely taught by males and meant while they were given the chance, there were few opportunities provided. Atuat wanted to change that and opened up a school for girls, similar to what her great-grandmother Toph Beifong had done with the metal bending academy. Atuat, like her mother, never learned healing, and being a female of the Northern Water Tribe was unique and ironic.

Their mother heard her, “Blood bending it frowned upon… but tell me if you do.” Eska said the last part in a hushed tone.

“Does that mean aunt Lin dated her cousin?” asked Kenji.

“Tenzin is my… cousin, not Lin’s since we have different fathers but yes, my sister dated my cousin.”

“When you say it like that, it sounds wrong.” scoffed Lin.

“What else did you see, feel?” asked Rohan.

“Sokka’s funeral and how much it hurt her to lose him. He died protecting Avatar Korra, right?”

“He did,” answered Lin.

“Then I think he would have no regrets in his death,” said Nima with more tears in her eyes.

“What happened at his funeral?” asked Ikki.

“She was sad beyond belief though I doubt she shared it,” replied Nima.

“Was that the end of the memory? Just the grief?” asked Tashi.

“No, Katara gave her something, I think a necklace? I’m not sure because I felt it in her hands but it was so quick.”

“What did it feel like? Squares?” asked Suyin.

“Yeah, yeah it did.”

“He wore one all the time.”

“Katara gave it to her because she knew Sokka would want her to have it, but she also mentioned more stuff to give great-grandma Toph. I think they were his things.”

Everyone looked at Suyin for answers. Toph and her younger daughter repaired their relationship years before Toph did with Lin. The first metal bender spent time in Zaofu so it seemed logical that she would leave her stuff in the metal city.

“There are some things of moms I stored away. I’ll have someone bring them.”

Suyin ordered some of the metal clan soldiers to bring the chests. Nima continued on, “The last memory is her deathbed. I heard children playing in the next room and she made a joke about Firelord Zuko.”

“She called him hot head or something like that, right?” asked Lin with a small smile. Of course on her deathbed, Toph Beifong had managed to tease one of her oldest friends.

“Fire Pants.” corrected Nima with a smile.

“She joked about being the last. Katara died about five months before her and Zuko died a couple of years before her,” said Suyin.

“It was a lonely death to be the last of her friends and a loving death to be surrounded by her daughters, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren,” said Nima.

There was a knock on the door and several chests were brought in. Nima was the first to reach for them before Ru joined her on the ground. “What are we looking for exactly?” asked Ru.

“Nothing specific but can I have the necklace?” asked Nima. Suyin looked around the room looking for objections, there were none. “Great.”

“Wait! Are we allowed to keep things? I call dibs if there’s a boomerang!” yelled Kenji.

“You don’t even know how to use a boomerang!” yelled Takashi as he shoved his brother away.

“I can learn!”

“I should have it since I’m a metal bender,” argued Takashi.

“I want some clothing from the southern water tribe,” added Atuat.

“Do you think he had something belonging to Suki?” asked Palden.

That was the name no one expected to hear. Suki and Sokka married young, both twenty-one years old, and enjoyed a little over fifteen years of marriage before deciding it was best if they remained friends. Nothing really changed between them because they did love each other and respected each other, they just grew apart. Six years later, Suyin was born.

Suki died protecting Avatar Korra from the Red Lotus alongside Sokka. She had retired from the Kyoshi warriors, but when the Avatar’s life was endangered, she took up arms again. She helped the Avatar once and spirits be damned if she was not going to do it again no matter her age. Even after the divorce, Suki remained a part of the group until her death and was renowned as a great Kyoshi warrior and a modernizer.

“Why?” asked Opal.

“She was a Kyoshi warrior. I want to be a Kyoshi warrior,” answered Palden.

“Since when?” asked Ru.

“Since you all started leaving. I thought that if I was going to leave, I might as well go to learn how to fight. I’m not a bender and there is always talk about living up to the family legacy… this is my way of doing things.” 

Ru realized that she had left so young, she barely knew her younger sisters. Nima was vocal about things but Palden was quiet and kept her emotions to herself more. Palden was eight when Ru left and spent the next couple of years with just Nima. In the span of two years, Palden went from having four siblings running around Air Temple Island, to one. 

“You want to leave to Kyoshi Island?” asked Opal.

“I do.”

“We can arrange something whenever you are ready.” agreed Bolin.

“So if there are fans, I can keep them?” 

“I don’t see why not,” replied Suyin.

“Wait if we are keeping things we should agree to never sell them and never lose them. Some of these things are probably a hundred years old, they are family heirlooms,” said Ru stopping anyone from looking through the chests.

“She’s not wrong. My brother wears a family heirloom that has been in my family since before the time of Avatar Roku. It’s more than likely our most prized possession.” said Ursa.

“We have to keep these things in the family; they are a reflection that we are of all nations. Our family comes from every corner of this world,” added Nima.

“The greatest illusion in this world is that we are separate. We are one and everyone sitting in this room is proof of that,” said Jinora.

The rest of the night was spent going through Toph Beifong's stuff, but everyone was hesitant to look through Sokka’s stuff. One man united the air bending family of Tenzin to the Beifongs. Suyin’s grandchildren each picked an item they wanted to remember their newly found great-grandfather. 

Ru kept a series of books about the four nations and war tactics which was shocking since Ru was like the air benders, not interested in war. But Ru loved books and history like her mother and Jinora was kind enough to give her free reign of the library on Air Temple Island. Jinora housed a large collection of rare books about the Avatar and four nations. When Korra lost her connection to her past lives, Jinora joined Asami to collect reading material for the Avatar who would come after since they could not rely on their past lives.

Wangchuk got maps that Sokka had used throughout his life since he was one to travel a lot. Ping wanted random Water Tribe trinkets. Nima did end up with the necklace she held while in the Tree of Time. Palden got Suki’s fans which were kept with Sokka’s stuff and she was the happiest of the bunch. 

Yuka and Atuat got some clothes that belonged to Sokka, and even if Atuat was a woman and did not fit into her great-grandfather’s clothes, it still felt nice. They were of both tribes, and wearing their great-grandfather’s clothes made it feel much more real. The two water benders, the only ones in the Beifong family, were happy to hear they had Southern Water Tribe ancestry alongside their Earth Nation ancestry. It made the family question if that was the reason the twins were such powerful benders.

Kenji took a sword while Takashi ended up with the boomerangs. The last to use a sword in the Fire Nation Royal Family was Firelord Zuko but Kenji was eager to bring swordsmanship back into the family. Takashi, being a metal bender, was confident in his ability to use bending to bring back the boomerang no matter where he threw the thing. 

Nima took the necklace and went outside where no one would listen. She wanted to talk to Princess Yue again. Tashi ignored Nima’s attempt at privacy and followed her. “So I guess that means we’re cousins.” smiled Tashi.

“Distant but yes,” replied Nima with a little laugh.

“No wonder we were best friends growing up. The world was telling us we were related.”

“It seems so weird to know he’s my great-grandfather.”

“Why?” 

“My family helped end The Hundred Year War. Like I understand Toph Beifong but the fact that Sokka is my great-grandfather, his sister is Katara, my grandma’s aunt… Avatar Aang was my grandmother’s uncle. It feels weird! Tell me I am not overthinking this?” 

“You are overthinking this.”

“Seriously?!”

“You always feel the need to measure yourself up to your family and I understand that. My mom is Jinora and my dad is Kai and I am the granddaughter of Tenzin and great-granddaughter of Avatar Aang. My family was the last of the Air Nation for almost two hundred years. That kind of pressure is something I understand more than anyone.”

“My family legacy just grew a crazy amount! I mean it’s bad enough being related to Toph Beifong, the inventor of metal bending, but to be related to Sokka… he led the invasion and helped end the war too! He was a skilled warrior at fifteen and a member of the council! People loved him! They believed him! He has a statue in Republic City for spirit's sake!” panicked Nima. There was this realization that made Nima feel even worse. “No one can know.”

“What? Why?” asked Tashi.

“Come on, it was basically an affair. I know that she didn’t care and neither did he but what happens when the world finds out.”

“If you think you would ruin his legacy you are wrong. You said that he loved Toph, Lin, and Suyin and of course, that would extend to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I know that my great-grandmother valued family the most, especially after losing her husband and brother within a span of five years. I know her brother was the same way. He went to war as a child because he loved his family and tribe that much. You and the rest of your family are his legacy and he would be nothing short of proud for what you all have done and the people you have become.”

Nima was crying again, “Thank you but can we leave me alone for a bit.”

“Yeah of course. If you need me don’t hesitate to find me.”

When Tashi was out of view Nima looked up at the sky in tears. She sat down, taking the necklace in her hands then slowly put it on, but the necklace was a little too big for her. Still crying, she grasped at the necklace. Was she overreacting?

“Since no one is going to say it, I will. Seeing you cry is weird.”

Nima turned around to find her cousin Atuat coming to her. Wiping away the tears, “You scared me.” With earth bending should have known her cousin was walking towards her, but in her emotional state, she didn’t.

“Sorry, I saw Tashi leave and I thought this was my chance to come and talk to you.”

“I rather just be alone right now.”

“I thought you should hear this first. Once people know we are the descendants of Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe it will change things. Being Chief of the Water Tribes is a hereditary position.”

“I don’t understand where you are going with this.” interrupted Nima.

“The South is independent and Tonraq has no spoken heir so once he passes, the elders will have to elect a new chief. Sokka and Hakoda were both Chieftains of the Southern Water Tribe and famous warriors. With a family legacy like ours and Sokka’s claim, do you know where I’m going with this?” asked Atuat.

“Your brother becomes Chief of the Northern Water Tribe and you Chief of the Southern Water Tribe.” tried Nima, but she already knew the answer.

“I have no interest in ruling, I made that very clear. My brother will be the sole Chief of the Northern Water Tribe and because of Southern Water Tribe independence, they won’t accept him as chief of both.”

“Uncle Baatar is the eldest child and a non-bender.”

“Uncle Baatar has no interest or possesses the skill in ruling a nation like the south and my dad cannot because he’s married to my mom. Your mom is an air bender and not interested in southern politics, uncle Wei could be a possibility and maybe even uncle Wing.”

“So the options are metal benders… as the future Chief of the Southern Water Tribe? Uncle Wing is technically a Fire Nation Prince. Could it be possible?” asked Nima.

“I have no idea. I was raised as one of the future Chiefs of the Northern Water Tribe but I can’t exactly predict what will happen but something will happen. My mom and uncle are prepared to talk about the future with their uncle but we won’t know for sure who will be put up for chief.”

“That means Zian has to come right?”

“He is the Avatar and I know you two didn’t end things on the best of terms a couple of weeks ago but the future of the south, the balance of the nations, is at risk. We are technically the heirs to Hakoda and Sokka… this changes a lot,” said Atuat.

“Thanks for telling me.”

“You know, I missed having you come to the north.”

“It’s too cold.”

“Yeah but it’s fun watching you shiver in all those furs. Also, you can’t bend up there so I like watching you struggle.” smiled Atuat.

“I could still bend, I have metal bending. Besides, I could lava bend and melt the palace in a second.”


	3. 206AG

Maybe knocking would have been better, but Zian was eager to see his parents. A trip to the Southern Water Tribe meant he had to visit his family, and it would be the first time in almost two years. “Xin?! Is that you?!” Zian walked further into the house. “Zian?”

“You should lock the doors.” 

“Zian!” His mother ran up and gave him a big hug and started kissing his face and Zian forgot exactly how much he missed his mother. While his mother started to cry from the joy, the door opened again. 

“Kana?”

“Zian’s here!” cried Kana.

Zian was then trapped between his mother and father in a hug. The family of three stayed together in tears before Zian spoke up. “I’m starting to lose air between you two.”

“Oh!” Kana separated from her husband to let Zian breathe again but she was so overjoyed she just hugged him again. “We’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too, I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch.”

“We’ve been keeping up with your travels. Jinora has been kind enough to send us every paper with your face from all corners of the four nations,” replied Xin.

“Really?”

Zian’s parents gestured towards one of the corners of the room were piles of newspapers almost as high as the ceiling. “We wanted to keep them so we could read about what you were doing whenever we missed you.”

“I’m sorry I never called.” apologized Zian.

“You were busy,” said Xin.

“We didn’t want to be a bother,” added Kana.

“That is the last thing my parents would ever be.”

“How long are you here for?” asked Xin.

“Not long. I have to return to Republic City tomorrow.”

“What brought you back to the South for the first time in years?” asked Kana.

“Just a talk with Chief Tonraq and the elders,” answered Zian.

“I hope everything is well.”

“It is. Nothing to worry about dad.”

“I wish we had more time together before you leave again,” confessed Xin.

“And your friends? Where are they?” 

“With Chief Tonraq.”

“You should have brought them! I could have made your favorite dish and we would finally meet your friends.” scolded Kana.

“I just wanted it to be us three.”

“Next time you bring them.”

“I will, I promise.” nodded Zian.

“Do you have time to eat? I can make something for you.” asked Kana.

“Yes.”

“Come on, let’s go outside. Show your father what you have been learning out in the world.”

Xin wrapped one arm around Zian’s shoulder and led him out into the cold. His father was an earth bender whose parents had moved to the Southern Water Tribe for jobs. His mother was a non-bender whose parents also moved south for jobs but Kana was unique because she could claim Fire Nation ancestry due to the colonization of the former Earth Kingdom.

Zian’s parents were older than most when they had him. They spent years trying for a child but the joy of having a child was quickly tainted when Zian was revealed to be the next Avatar. It meant letting go of the child they so desperately wanted and would hand him over to the world that he would protect. They were bitter in the beginning, what parents wouldn’t when they were told they had to allow their only child to risk his life for the mortal and spirit worlds. When Zian started air bending training, he was happy, and his parents let go of whatever resentment they had, and supported him.

“I really am sorry for never calling or visiting.” repeated Zian.

“We know. We also know you are busy. Just know that we will always be there for you.”

“I know dad… I got a new fire bending master.”

“What happened to Prince Zuko?”

“He went back with his family. This new guy he named Niko and he does energy readings.”

“Using fire bending?” asked Xin.

“Yup. He’s been teaching me how to redirect lightning.”

“Can you?”

“Can’t know until someone tries it on me.”

“How about the water bending? Arnaq right? She’s your water bending master?”

“She is. She’s been working on teaching me healing.”

“Have you mastered any of the sub-elements of water bending?”

“I’m close. I can feel it.” answered Zian.

“Come on, show me some moves!” laughed Xin.

Zian did some traditional water bending moves and turned the water into ice. For entertainment, he turned the snow into water then into ice. Xin lost his balance for a second which made both men laugh.

“You're fast.”

“I learned that from you.” replied Zian.

“How about the air bending? How is Jinora doing?”

“Jinora is fine. I unlocked my chakras, I can go in and out of the Avatar state now.” 

Xin pulled his son into a tight hug and kissed the top of his head. “I’m so proud of you.”

“It was scary. I had to come to terms with some things. I - I love you both too much and I don’t want to lose you.” Zian’s eyes started to burn.

“Hey, everything is going to be alright. Your mother and I are going to be here for you.” Xin held Zian as he cried. “Let’s go inside, we’ve been making seal jerky and I know you miss seaweed noodles.”

“They don’t make them the same anywhere else.”

\--- 

Chief Tonraq looked at Zian as he explained that Sokka was Suyin Beifong’s father. The death of his daughter, Avatar Korra meant Tonraq could be succeeded by Korra’s children. Asami Sato and Avatar Korra had two children Yasuko and Enya. Yasuko was twenty-six years old, Enya just three years younger, and had spent their adult years helping their mother run Future Industries. While Enya was more interested in advancements, Tasuko was interested in the spiritual energy that he believed sent his mother, Korra, into an early grave.

With this new information, he could appoint a Beifong as his heir and leave his grandchildren alone with Asami. Rather than force them into the position of Chief that they would not want nor have the heart to do. But to have a member of the Earth Nation as chief, despite water tribe ancestry, could go either way. The options were metal benders nonetheless.

“We shouldn’t tell the world!”

“Nima!” scolded Opal.

“We shouldn’t tell the world because it would mean a chance that one of us could be Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. A metal or a fire or air bender being the leader of the Southern Water Tribe? The Fire Nation and Northern Water Tribe have not accepted other benders as their leaders and we don’t know if they ever will.” explained Nima.

“Tonraq?” asked Suyin.

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know what to do in this situation as of right now. This has never happened before to the best of my knowledge.”

“Chief Tonraq, deep down you know I am right. The south will accept a non-bender as their leader, but a metal bender? It would be unheard of.”

“You are right but we are living in different times and they continue to change as the world we live in evolves. Multicultural families are normal, your family’s very existence is proof of that. I believe that the elders will consider a Beifong once I pass. Which won’t be long.”

“You’re dying?” asked Zian.

Everyone in the room held their breath at the shocking news. Tonraq smiled, “It’s okay I have known for a while. After Senna passed, I knew my time was soon.”

“Then this becomes an issue sooner than later. How… how long?”

“A year or two at best.”

“I wish you would have said something sooner,” confessed Suyin.

“I have lived a full life. What the elders decide after I am gone, I truly have no idea, but with you all being the heirs to Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe does change things. The elders might want proof of some kind. Besides Nima’s trip to the spirit world and his things, is there anything that proves Suyin is his daughter?”

The Beifongs looked at each other knowing no was the answer but Suyin spoke up, “I do, I have his testament where he declares me his legal daughter. I would have to look for it back in Zaofu but I do have it.”

“Zian, what do you think next actions are?” asked Tonraq.

This was more a test for the young Avatar. “We… We call a meeting with the elders once Sifu Suyin brings the will. What would happen if none of the Beifongs are chosen?” 

“Then they simply choose someone else. The elders decide on whoever they feel will best lead the nation.”

“Who else could there be?” asked Zian.

“I would think Ila or her brother Malik are possible choices. Their mother was President of the United Republic and their father was a well-respected businessman of the Southern Water Tribe. Their family controls the global shipping business and has brought much prosperity to the area.” answered Tonraq.

“Where are they?”

“Ila is here last time I heard and Malik is in the Earth Nation working on new business deals. They are kind enough to come to visit me whenever they can.”

“Varrick and Zhu Li?”

“Traveling the world, never stayed in one place too long. They practically live on that yacht of theirs now,” said Lin.

“Once we return from Kyoshi Island to drop off Palden we can hear what the elders think. We hope this did not cause more trouble for you.” smiled Opal.

“Nonsense. I’m sure people would be happy to hear Sokka had a family of his own. How did my niece take it?” asked Tonraq.

“Well, Atuat asked if that meant she could blood bend and Eska said to tell her if she does somehow learn. I’m not too sure how serious my granddaughter was considering blood bending is illegal.”

“Illegal in the United Republic of Nations, not everywhere else.” corrected Lin.

“Illegal nonetheless.”

“I think this family is the last to judge each other on the legality of things considering our family helped end a war doing many illegal things along the way,” said Nima.

“We will be returning soon. Hopefully, that is more than enough time to hear what the elders think. If we are needed sooner, do not hesitate to call.” ended Suyin

\---

Kyoshi Island was created by Avatar Kyoshi herself over 400 years ago when Chin the Conqueror threatened to invade. During the time between Kysohi to Aang, the Kyoshi warriors were in every village. Little had unified them prior to Avatar Aang’s arrival on the southern island and in little less than ten years after the end of The Hundred Year War, Suki had unified the warriors on the island. Suki, a member of Avatar Aang’s team and one of the many who helped end The Hundred Year War, had also modernized the Kyoshi warriors. 

Unification was the first step and the clothing was the second. Adapting with the times, the outfits of the Kyoshi warriors had changed, slimmed down, and bulked up depending on what nation and season you were in. They started using komodo rhinos and air balloons among other new ways of transportation and in battles. 

The Fire Nation had a heavy influence on the Kyoshi Warriors in the beginning as they protected the Firelord on many occasions. Weapons were another thing that changed, while the famous fans Avatar Kyoshi were still the primary weapon of choice, katanas and shields were introduced in the later years. Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors who protected Firelord Zuko gained enough fame across the four nations, they were getting dozens of women wanting to join. The Kyoshi Warriors grew into the hundreds within a couple of years.

Currently, the Kyoshi warriors had four combative branches and four non-combative branches. The first established branch was the Army. It was the oldest and largest branch of the Kyoshi Warriors. The Navy was the second largest but despite being the second-largest branch, the Navy was only a couple hundred women mainly from the Northern and Southern Water Tribe, compared to the now thousands in the Army.  The next branch was the Air Force which mainly consisted of the Air Defense Artillery Branch that specializes in anti-aircraft weapons. Because of the Fire Nation’s use of war balloons and air crafts during The Hundred Year War, the Air Defense Artillery Branch was created and mainly managed by Fire Nation non-bending women Suki had recruited. 

Completing the combative branches was the newly established Chemical Corps, which was made during the time of Avatar Korra after the third spirit portal was created. Despite the name, the Chemical Corps dealt less with chemicals and more with the spirit world. The branch was funded mainly by Varrick and former President Moon. The Corp’s main mission was defending against chemical, biological, and spiritual weapons. Currently, the Chemical Corps consisted of only two dozen women, mainly from the Earth Nation, and were recruited from the former Earth Empire created by Kuvira.

The non-combative branches of the Kyoshi Warriors were unique, as the Kyoshi Warriors did not generally train men, these branches allowed men. The largest branch was the Transportation and Ordnance Corps consisting of thousands of men and women. Uniquely, the Transportation and Ordnance Corps worked with the armies of the Earth and Fire Nation as their mission is to supply armies with weapons and ammunition by truck, rail, air, and sea. More often than not, they transported medical and food supplies across the four nations.

The Medical Service Corps was the second-largest consisting of three branches, Medical Corps, Nurse Corps, and Veterinary Corps. Like Transportation, the Medical Service Corps works with the other nations to provide medical services to civilians, those serving in the Kyoshi Warriors, and in other armies. When the Kyoshi Warriors started using komodo rhinos, the Veterinary Corps was created to take care of all animals. 

The smallest branches were the Intelligence Corps and Corps of Engineers which, like the other non-combative branches, worked with the armies of the other nations.  The mission of intelligence is to provide timely, relevant and accurate intelligence warfare. The Corps of Engineers’ mission was to prepare a fight, but with rare chances to start a full-blown war or battles, had focused on flood and storm protection and ecosystem restoration across the four nations. 

All eight branches were managed by one General of the Kyoshi Warriors and the first had been Suki. She was the first, youngest, and longest General of the Kyoshi warriors although there have only been four generals so far. The current general was a woman named Bo who came from the Southern Water Tribe and spent her time in the Navy. She was previously the Admiral of the Navy and had become General of the Kyoshi Warriors in 200AG.

Kyoshi Warriors grew so fast that housing the men and women had to be put on the mainland. The surrounding areas became major cities like Yokoya Port which was an impoverished village of farmers and fishers. Now known as Yokoya, was one of the largest cities of the Earth Nation and housed the Navy of the Kyoshi Warriors who were the unofficial protectors of the Southern Air Temple and Southern Water Tribe, deemed by Suki. Other mainland cities near the Kyoshi Warriors welcomed the bases and more cities were created around them bringing in trade to the region.

When the Beifongs landed on Kyoshi Island, the men and women of the island all wanted to have a peek at the famous family. Rumors went quickly that one of Suyin Beifong's granddaughters would be joining the Kyoshi Warriors. To the men and women in the Kyoshi Warriors, meeting the Beifongs was the next closest thing to meeting the Avatar. It was an honor to meet them as they were still considered the best metal benders in the world and tales of the journey’s aiding the past three Avatar were still spoken about.

When Suyin and Lin Beifongs stepped out of the plane, General Bo of the Kyoshi Warriors was the first to greet them. There were about a dozen women standing behind General Bo that all greeted the older women. Standing behind Suyin and Lin was Opal and Bolin and their five children behind them. Nima and Palden were holding each other’s hands as they were all greeted.

“Welcome to Kyoshi Island.”

“Thank you for having us,” replied Lin.

“Yes, thank you. I know you normally don’t have the entire family come like this but this is all special circumstances as we discussed on the phone,” added Opal.

“We are very honored to have the Beifong family visit and to have one join the Kyoshi warriors, the first I might add.”

“Palden,” called Bolin.

Palden let go of Nima’s hand and walked to the front. Ru took her youngest sister's place and grabbed Nima's empty hand. Palden was placed in front of her father and gave General Bo a handshake. 

“Welcome, Palden. I hope you consider Kyoshi Island a second home in the coming months. Training is 6 months where you will experience all branches before we place you in one we believe you are most suited for. Are you a non-bender?”

“Yes.”

“Were you thinking of combat or non-combat?”

“Combat.”

“Great to hear. If you will follow me, I’d love to show your family around.”

Palden looked at the statue of Avatar Kyoshi that had stood there for over 200 years, and next to that was a smaller statue of Suki. In a bag, Palden had not let out of her sight since Zaofu, were General Suki’s shield, fans, headdress, and katana. The shield and katana were stashed away and then given to Palden which now became her most prized possessions.

At the end of the day, Palden was to say goodbye to her family, but with Ru and her brothers saying goodbye was easy. Her grandmother, aunt Lin, and parents were a bit more difficult, but the hardest to leave was Nima. The two sisters spent years being the only two siblings left on Air Temple, but Palden was sixteen now, and in the unofficial Beifong family tradition, that meant leaving and starting your own journey in life.

Nima and Palden looked at each other with tears in each other's eyes. Palden was the first to step forward before Nima engulfed her in a tight hug. “Don’t forget to call whenever you can. I’ll miss that annoying voice.” smiled Nima.

“So long as you promise not to run off in the spirit world without telling me again,” replied Palden.

“I can’t believe you are doing this.”

“This is my destiny,” whispered Palden.

“I suppose it is, but if you ever want to leave, you call me. I’ll come to get you and we can travel the world.” Nima was half-joking, but if Palden did call she would drop everything and come and get her little sister.

“And if you ever want to join the Kyoshi Warriors I’ll come and get you. Don’t get yourself killed out there or I will get Panuk to heal you back to life and I’ll kill you for dying in the first place” smiled Palden.

The longest hug Nima had ever given was to her sixteen-year-old sister as she began her training in the Kyoshi Warriors. When the moment was over, Palden walked away with General Bo as Ru gave Nima a hug. “She’ll be alright. She’s strong just like everyone in this family.”

“I’m going to talk with aunt Lin.”

Ru was a little hurt that Nima brushed her off so quickly and barely hugged her back. “Okay!” rushed Ru.

Nima touched Lin’s shoulder and the two stayed behind the crowd of their family boarding the plane back to the Southern Water Tribe. “Could I ask something from you?” asked Nima.

“Depends on what you're asking for.”

“I know grandma Su traveled the world and I would like to do the same but more for learning reasonings. I want to learn as much as I can about earth bending and I want you to come with me and teach me everything you know.”

“I am too old.”

“We wouldn’t be roughing it out like great-grandma Toph did with Avatar Aang. I want to learn sand bending, seismic sense, and more with you. You are a great bender and you were taught by some of the greatest benders this world has ever seen. I want to learn everything you do. I want to be a great earth bender.” 

“Nima, you already are a great earth bender. Are you sure you wouldn’t want your brother or even Wei instead?” asked Lin.

“No, you are the one I want to learn from.”

“Okay so long as you promise to lava bend at me again.” said Lin.

“Great! I want to leave after the whole water tribe mess is over with.”

“Does your mother know about this?”

“No, but I doubt she will object to me leaving and traveling the world. Almost everyone in this family has done it. Besides, I’ll have you with me so no one would object to me traveling the world when I have you.”

“I want to go with you.” Lin and Nima looked to the side and saw Ru walking towards them. “I want to go with you two,” repeated Ru.

“What about the temple and helping Meelo?” asked Nima.

“He can stand to be without me.”

“I’m going inside,” said Lin, feeling the two sisters needed to talk more privately. When Lin got into the plane Suyin looked as if she was about to go out until Lin put her hand up. “Give them a couple of minutes.”

Ru looked at the statue of Kyoshi behind her before looking at Nima. “I know you want me to say that leaving Air Temple Island was a mistake, but it wasn’t.”

“Ru.” interrupted Nima.

“No, please let me say this. I spent years reading about the Avatars, the four nations, our family’s journey, and all I ever wanted was to have that myself. I wanted to experience life and have no responsibilities. So I left, I left you, I left the family and I experienced what the world had to offer and I was happy, the happiest I had ever been. But today I realize that I left you four to pick up the pieces and you took most of the burden when Wangchuk and Ping did the same thing. It was you and Palden for years. You two have a bond that we will never have-”

“That is not true.” whimpered Nima.

Ru couldn't hold in her tears anymore. “It is Nima. We can repair what we can but at the end of the day, I won’t be close like you and Palden. It’s fine, really, I should have expected that but now I can change things. I don’t want to be like grandma and aunt Lin who didn’t speak for decades. I know you want your big journey where you do what you want and not what other people want.”

“Okay.” agreed Nima.

“Maybe my destiny is to help you. That can be my legacy, helping you become the greatest earth bender in history. I read, I read a lot, I can help you achieve whatever you are meant to achieve-”

“Ru I said okay!” laughed Nima.

Ru was taken back. “Oh… thank you!” Talking Nima into a hug. 

“Come on, everyone is waiting for us.”

\---

The elders met with Suyin, Chief Tonraq, and Zian the day after the Beifongs returned to the Southern Water Tribe. Tonraq was the first Chief of an independent Southern Water Tribe, meaning things were being sorted when it dealt with succession. Chief was a hereditary position, but Tonraq had no heir and his niece and nephew were already Co-Chiefs of the North, the first in their history. Normally the elders would never choose a successor like this when the current chief was alive.

Tonraq’s expected death, Sokka having living descendants, and the Avatar being called meant someone would have to be chosen. Ila and Malik Blackstone Varrick Moon were some of the most well-respected people in the world. Ila took over the family business and with her mother’s loyalty and proficiency had put her as a strong negotiator in all deals. Malik had a strong devotion similar to his mother but had his father’s charisma and innovation leading to his need to make technological advances. Currently, his mind was being lent to the Chemical Corps of the Kyoshi Warriors, although his main priority was helping his older sister run the family business which he was doing in the Earth Nation as an ambassador of the company.

At 26 and 24, Ila and Malik were young but were taught the business of leading by their parents so few could compete. Choosing one of them as the next Chief of the Southern Water Tribe would make the most sense. They were more than capable of running a nation thanks to their mother and had helped the south grow thanks to their father’s business. 

The doors opened and everyone went up to their feet waiting for someone to talk. The Beifongs gathered around Suyin. “The elders have expressed that a Beifong will not succeed Chief Tonraq.”

“Does that mean Ila or Malik will be Co-Chiefs or one of them will be Chief?”

“The elders did not confirm as they did not want to choose during this time. They also didn’t express who they favored,” answered Suyin.

“But it won’t be one of us, right?” asked Ru.

“No, it will not.”

“Oh thank god,” muttered Nima.

“Now that all of this is settled. It’s time we return to Zaofu and Air Temple Island.”

“Nima, Ru, and I will not be returning with any of you.” said Lin.

Bolin and Opal looked at their daughters in shock. “What do you mean you aren’t returning with us?”

“I want to travel the world and I asked aunt Lin to come with me.”

“I’m going to! In case that wasn’t mentioned.” smiled Ru.

“I said your name,” said Lin.

“Well, I wanted them to be sure.”

“Ru, you're going with your sister and aunt?” asked Opal.

“I’m going to help Nima with her bending and spiritual side.”

“That’s great!” Bolin brought Nima, Ru, and Lin into a hug, but Lin had awkwardly removed herself from the situation.

“You really need to stop doing that.” said Lin, getting away from Bolin.

“Be careful, look after one another, and don’t forget to call.” smiled Bolin. “Oh and send postcards wherever you are. I can keep them and save them. I can even make you two a nice scrapbook”

“We will.” replied Ru.

\---

“Did you see her?” 

“Sort of. She was with her family outside the meeting room.” answered Zian.

“Is she alright?” asked Rinchen.

“She looked alright.”

“Where are we going now?” asked Arnaq.

“Fire Nation. Since Zuko is leaving us he recommended a Fire Nation soldier to take his place and we are going to meet him.”

“What happens if we don’t like him?” asked Arnaq.

“Well we have little choice since he’s being recommended by Zuko and the Firelord. So take it easy on him.” That was directed more towards Arnaq.

“He’s a fire bender in the army? Is that all there is to him?” asked Rinchen.

“All I know so far. Our plane leaves tonight and we’ll meet him tomorrow morning.”

“What’s his name?” 

“I don’t know.”

Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation made the hard decision to leave Zian, Arnaq, and Rinchen for his family. With the change in the Fire Nation, and him being needed more than ever, Zuko decided to serve his family for the time being. It was not a goodbye but more of a see you later since the relationship between Zuko and the Avatar had long been established centuries ago.

For his replacement, Zuko and his father Iroh recommended a Fire Nation soldier to accompany the Avatar and friends in their journey. To be suggested to serve the Avatar was a privilege few would ever experience, or at least that was what Zian had been told by everyone around him since he was discovered by the White Lotus and Air Nation. From what Zian had read, serving the Avatar meant your death. Either serving the Avatar or finding and protecting the next incarnation. Sokka, Suki, Mako, and those were the only ones people knew about. There were probably thousands more no one cared to remember.

In a meeting room of Firelord Iroh had his sons on either side of him as the young soldier sat down in front of them. The young man was nervous beyond belief since this was the closest he had ever been to the Fire Nation Royal Family. He was a low ranking soldier who saw little to no action and his father and his father before him had experienced the same thing. One day he was told he was going to leave the Fire Nation Army to serve the Avatar Zian to replace Prince Zuko as a companion and teacher. 

Although he never thought he possessed the skills to teach the Avatar of all people. It was something he was not expecting because his family has served the army for generations despite wanting to be a fire sage. Now he had a way out of the army but was still protecting his family legacy. 

He sat down waiting patiently to greet the Avatar but was stuck with the legendary Fire Royal Family instead. “You seem nervous,” said Zuko.

“Do I? Forgive me, Prince Zuko.”

“Are we sure about this?” whispered Lu Ten to his brother, but the older man was not sneaky and could be heard by everyone in the room.

“Niko is a powerful bender… besides he is exactly the type of fire bender Zian needs.” Zuko whispered the last part to his brother.

“Firelord Iroh, the Avatar and company have landed and are being escorted here.” announced one of the royal guards.

“Thank you.”

“Is Nima with them?” asked Lu Ten. 

“No, she's never with Zian anymore.” answered Zian.

The four men waited patiently. Niko was shaking more as the minutes went on. He was sure he was going to throw up just as the doors came open, “Avatar Zian and company.”

Iroh was the first to step forward and bring Zian into a hug before Lu Ten had done the same. Zuko signaled for Niko to get up and helped place the young man next to him. 

“Zuko.” said Zian.

“Zian, this is Niko.”

“Hello Avatar Zian.”

“Hello Niko, these are my friends, Arnaq and Rinchen.”

“Are you an air bender?” asked Niko to Rinchen.

“Oh no, I’m afraid not. I am just an Air Acolyte.” answered Rinchen.

“Rinchen likes books. She helps me with my spiritual side and with history.”

“And you are the water bender?” asked Niko to Arnaq.

“Yes and you are obviously the fire bender.” 

“Yes.” Niko said awkwardly.

“Can you produce lightning?” asked Rinchen.

“No.”

“Can you breathe fire?” asked Arnaq.

“No.”

“Can you fly using fire, like jets?” asked Zian.

“No.”

“And he’s supposed to replace Zuko?” asked Arnaq.

“He’s a powerful bender. Niko, tell them.” argued Zuko.

“I redirect lightning which is even rarer than producing lightning considering how dangerous it is. I can also do energy readings with my fire bending.”

The non-fire benders looked at each other in confusion. “Okay, I’ll budge. What is that?” asked Arnaq.

“It’s a technique similar to healing that can sense and guide heat in the body to heal one’s spirit by the way of energy paths in the body.” answered Firelord Iroh.

“Oh I’ve read about that! Avatar Korra experienced something like that. I would pull out my books but I’m afraid they are not on hand. It’s an interesting technique that few fire benders outside the sages can master.” smiled Rinchen.

“Niko was meant to join the Fire sages but his family had long served in the army so he changed his occupation. I taught you one side of fire bending with little results so it’s possible that Niko’s bending would suit you better.” added Zuko.

“I hope you don’t have a fear of planes.” smiled Zian to Niko.

Niko came from a long line of Fire Nation soldiers. His parents were both non-benders but he and his siblings were all Fire benders. Niko’s mother was a product of the colonies established during The Hundred Year War and claimed both Fire and Earth Nation ancestry. Niko’s grandparents wanted to give their daughter the best education possible so they sent her to a school in the Fire Nation. There she met Niko’s father and never left the islands since then. Niko was the youngest of three with his sister and brother serving in the army like their father had done before them, and his father before that.

Despite joining the army, Niko had wanted to join the Fire Sages since he was a child. He possessed the talents for one, but his family expected for him to join the family trade. So he joined the army but he didn’t use his bending for offense, but for defense, which for a fire bender was unique. He peaked the interest of those ranked above him and when the Firelord started asking for certain qualities in a fire bender, Niko’s name was brought up.

When the time came for Zian and company to leave the Firelord and Zuko saw them off. Firelord Iroh gave Niko a handshake. “Some of the best benders learn from the other elements. While this may seem like you are the one teaching, there is also a lot you can learn from each other.”

“Thank you Firelord Iroh.”

Zuko was next to speak to Niko. “Don’t let Arnaq push you around and Rinchen likes her books but don’t let it get to you if she interrupts you, she means well.”

“What about Avatar Zian?” asked Niko.

“You two are more alike than you think. Just remember that when things get tough and they will, it just comes with the position.” answered Zuko.

“Thank you.”

“I think you're exactly what Zian needs. Just don’t mess things up because it’ll look bad on me and my family.” laughed Zuko.

Niko didn’t laugh as the prince patted him on the back before leaving. The young man boarded the plane and sat next to the Avatar. “Avatar Zian, where are we going?”

“Zian is fine, and we are going to Republic City but we won’t be staying long. I just need to talk with Jinora for a bit. We’ve been invited to the Southern Air Temple by Meelo to spend some time there.”

“Okay. May we begin our training after you meet with…. Master Meelo?”

“Yes, of course. You know you don’t have to say everyone’s titles before their name right? I’m not saying that you should stop, it’s just that now you will be on a personal basis with many people with important positions. Official titles can get a bit boring after that.”

“I’ve been taught that it’s respectful, but I’ll bear it in mind to not go easy on the titles for the future.” replied Niko.

“Great. I hope that didn’t seem like I was trying to order you around, I’m not.”

“It didn’t.”

“Good. I know it seems like I just picked you out of your life and now you're forced to be with us-”

“It is an honor to help the Avatar.” interrupted Niko. Zian’s smile was gone with that one sentence. “I’m sorry, did I say something wrong?”

“No, no… I just hear that all the time. If you think about it, it’s a bit creepy to be taught by your descendants from your past lives. And if it's not them, then they are random people who… I don’t know where I’m going with this. If you will excuse me.” Zian got up and walked away from Niko to the other side of the plane. Niko was now panicking because he believed that Avatar did not like him. One call to the Firelord and Niko would be back in the army and stuck in the Fire Nation Army again and that was the last thing Niko wanted at the moment.

Peaking her interest, Rinchen got in the plane and immediately went through her books trying to find energy reading by fire. With a little luck, she took Zian’s place next to Niko and started with her questions, determined to learn.

“Did you know that energy reading is a rare thing?”

“Yes.”

“Fire bending is usually seen as offense when in battle. Destruction, to be more specific but you don’t use it that way. I think that’s why you were chosen to replace Zuko.”

“Yes.”

“Would you mind telling me a little bit more about energy reading?” asked Rinchen.

“Sure. Are you the brains behind the group?” asked Niko.

“I don’t think so. As an Air Acolyte my interest is more on the spiritual side. I help Zian with meditations and history but mostly about the Air Nation. Everything else I learned because of The Hundred Year War and you can’t talk about the most famous Avatar and air bender, Avatar Aang without talking about Master Katara, Chief Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, General Suki of the Kyoshi Warriors, Chief of Police Toph Beifong, and Firelord Zuko.”

“Can you fight?”

“Oh no, that goes against everything I am as an acolyte although, Nima mentioned she wanted to teach me some things in case I was attacked. She said I couldn’t rely on everyone else when I’m putting myself in danger by being around the Avatar. But I’m not sure if she was being serious or not.” 

“Nima?”

“Nima, Toph Beifong’s great-granddaughter. Her grandmother is Suyin Beifong, mother is Opal, father is Bolin.” Rinchen could go on explaining the significance of Nima Beifong and exactly how she fit into history.

“She’s the prince's cousin, right?”

“Yes, that one. We spent some time in Zaofu after the Princess Ursa incident.”

“Where is she now?”

“Oh she doesn’t come with us. She stays with her family in Zaofu and Air Temple Island.”

“I thought there was an air bender in the group?” asked Niko.

“No, Zian never found one and he wanted Nima’s sister since she knows a lot, way more than me, but we haven’t seen her. The air benders are a very small group, I think Zian just wanted to leave the air benders alone rather than to risk one of their lives.” confessed Rinchen. 

“How do you know that?”

“Because the future of the air nation has plagued the two previous Avatars and it’s no longer an exception to feel that way, but what is expected. An attack on the Air Nation throws everything off balance and Zian’s job is to keep that balance.” 

Niko was getting to understand the Avatar now. “When did he learn he was the Avatar?”

“Seven I think. Older than Avatar Korra by two years but five years younger than Avatar Aang. A child, raised to protect the world, sometimes it’s sad to think about that. I can only imagine how it must feel to know the person you love… oh, I'm rambling and getting too personal again. Sorry. But always, we are here to help him achieve that peace but more importantly we are here to ease that heavy burden from him so he can continue being the Avatar.” Things were serious in the end.

“And I’m part of that.” whispered Niko to himself.

“Every Avatar has people that they rely on in battle but also as friends and we are Zian’s.” ended Rinchen.

Niko thought people were lying when they said water and fire benders would take a long time to get along. Arnaq was doubting his every move when it came to Zian’s fire bending training. But when Zian uses energy readings on Arnaq and Rinchen, he picks up on the subtle differences although that might have been just obvious because Arnaq hated the idea of fire anywhere near her body.

Zian’s spiritual side was stronger than before and that allowed him to do energy readings with more ease as the time went by. Because Niko couldn’t generate lightning, Zian and the group were left wondering if Zian could redirect lightning. He meditated, he went through the motions, but no one knew if he could do it until someone used it against him. If he couldn’t redirect the lightning, it would mean his death, and it plagued Niko’s every thought.

As the Avatar in today’s world, Zian solved problems with his words. There was rarely a chance to fight anymore. If he wasn’t the one fighting, then it was ordinary people doing it for him. Soldiers, powerful families like the Beifongs and Air Nation, and leaders, did most of Zian’s job at maintaining peace. 

His attempt at dropping in Republic City to see Jinora for a day or two failed and the group ended up staying for months. People who lived near the third portal said the spirits were ‘acting weird’.

“Have you talked with Korra?” asked Jinora.

“No. I don’t think this is the time. Aren’t I supposed to hit my lowest point or something… no, that may be wrong.” replied Zian.

“Connecting with past lives is complicated. It could come when you need advice, in danger, or anything related. You have made connections in the past.”

“Yeah, Korra’s memories, but I’ve never been able to talk to her. Is there something I am missing?”

“I don’t think so and if there is, it has nothing to do with your body and more with your mind. Unfortunately, people neglect that part the most but the mind is a powerful thing that can block a number of things.”

“Jinora, am I ready to be the Avatar?”

“Zian, you have been the Avatar since you took your first breath in this world. You simply have to accept it. There are no weak Avatars, there are no bad ones because you will try your best at everything.” 

Zian hugged Jinora. “Thank you.”

“Before you go I wanted to tell you something. It may not seem relevant but like I said, at your core values, you are the same as all the past Avatars. My grandmother, Katara once told me that Korra had my grandfather Aang’s smile. And you have her smile.”

“Thank you… for everything.”

“It’s been more than an honor to help you through your journey.”

“Because I’m the Avatar?” asked Zian.

“Because you are a good man.”

Jinora and Zian walked out of the room but went in two different directions. Looking at the full moon, going to Republic City now to investigate what was going on with the spirits, would be useless. It was better that the group got some sleep but Zian went to the courtyard, finding his friends. Rinchen was speaking to Arnaq and demonstrating some movements for her, which was clearly annoying the water bender. Niko was sitting on the ground a couple of feet away.

Arnaq’s face lit up at the sight of Zian and ran up to him. “Are we really going into the spirit world?”

“Yes, maybe, there is something happening around the third spirit portal. We’ll spend most of the time in Republic City.” answered Zian.

The two walked back to Niko and Rinchen. “We should go tonight, but for fun. I heard about this woman who can see the future.” suggested Rinchen.

“A fortune teller? Seriously?”

“It’s fun! We rarely have time to just hang out. We owe it to our sanity to take a night off.”

“I agree with Rinchen.” added Niko.

“Two say yes, one says no-”

“I didn’t say no.” interrupted Arnaq.

“Zian? What do you say?” asked Rinchen.

“We have to be back before midnight.”

“How are we going to get there?” asked Niko.

“I can ask Tashi to take us.” 

Tashi was reluctant to take Zian and the rest of the group to Republic City but since there were no boats available knew she was the only choice. The group landed in Republic City and spent the last twenty minutes wandering around since Rinchen got confused with the street signs. Besides Zian and Tashi who grew up on Air Temple Island, the other three had no idea how to navigate Republic City streets. Even then, Zian and Tashi didn’t spend much time in the city, just the island for school and work.

“Are you an air bender?” asked Niko.

The group was walking through the streets trying to find the fortune teller’s shop. “I am.”

“How long have you known Avatar Zian?”

“Since he came to Air Temple Island to start his training.”

“Has everyone been raised around Zian?”

“Not Arnaq and Rinchen. They met about two years ago. If you’re worried about being the outsider, you're not. You just need time.” answered Tashi.

“Your mother is Master Jinora right?”

“She is.”

“Rinchen has been helping me with names. I got the hang of your names but the Beifong’s are twice as big and related to everyone.” smiled Niko.

“They are, aren’t they? When I found out that my grandfather and Nima’s grandmother were cousins I was shocked, honestly. But then I was happy because it meant having more family than before.”

“I found it!” yelled Rinchen.

The five went into the shop to find a young woman with a big smile. They were expecting an old woman who didn’t look anywhere near as young or pretty as the one standing before them with a smile on her face. “Welcome, I have been expecting you, Avatar Zian and friends. I am Lakshmi.”

“I’m already regretting this.” whispered Arnaq.

“This will be fun.” reminded Rinchen.

Gathering around a table, each took their seat but Lakshmi continued standing. “You are here with a purpose. I’ll start with the one with the worried face first.”

The group turned to Niko. “Me? Do I really have a worried face?”

“It’s a permanent look as far as we know.” smiled Arnaq.

“It’s not a bad thing, really.” added Rinchen.

“Guess I’ll go now.”

Niko followed Lakshmi to another room where the mood was odd. There was incense burning and it made Niko’s throat dry up. He coughed a bit before Lakshmi motioned for him to sit down across from her. 

“I don’t know this works.”

“That’s fine. You don’t have to do much, just show me your palm.”

“I don’t really believe in this stuff.” said Niko.

“That doesn’t matter because no one can run away from truth… no matter how much we all try.”

“I want to ask about my future with the Avatar.”

“Such an odd man, you are so worried, you are not living. I see nothing.”

“Nothing? How is that possible? Everyone has a future.” argued Niko.

“Your mind is clouded. Bring in the Air Acolyte.”

Niko was confused that he didn’t get an answer but it’s not like he believed it anyhow. Taking his place between Tashi and Rinchen looked at Rinchen. “She wants you to go in.”

“Okay.”

Rinchen smiled at Arnaq as she went into the other room. Eager to sit down, Rinchen nearly tripped over her own feet to sit on the chair. Lakshmi smiled at her eagerness. “You are such a pretty little thing.”

“Thank you. I think?”

“What is it that you are looking for? Your future accomplishments, your time in this world, or love?” asked Lakshmi.

“Time in this world.” answered Rinchen.

“Give me your palm.” Lakshmi was expecting for Rinchen to say love, but thankfully love and time in Rinchen’s case were intertwined. “I see a bed of flowers.”

“What does that mean?”

“Death.”

“Well everyone dies.” said Rinchen.

“I see an early death for you. But… what a line, what a life you will birth. I do see death but I see life as well…it must be because you are an Air Acolyte, a strong spiritual connection.”

“I die young?”

“Early death can mean a lot of things. Twenty or fifty or eighty, it is what the world decides.”

“My future is my death? That isn’t a really good fortune to tell.”

“Well I have never seen so much death in a group until you and your friends walked into my shop. Although, when being friends with the Avatar, what else did you expect? Happiness and you all live until your hundred with grandchildren running around? When has anyone who knew the Avatar granted eternal happiness?” asked Lakshmi.

“Not eternal happiness, but happiness in general. There are plenty of friends of the previous Avatars who fell in love, had children, and died at an old age.”

“They may have, but you will not. You will not live a long life. None of your friends will.”

“Is that it for me?” asked Rinchen in slight anger.

“Yes, bring in the water bender.”

When Arnaq came into the room, she had already seen the faces of Niko and Rinchen. They were both angry in a pacifist way but she wondered what the lady had told them. Now sitting across from her, Lakshmi had this smile on her face.

“Palm please.”

“What did you tell my friends?”

“The truth.”

“They seem upset.”

“The truth can be upsetting at times.”

“So what is my future? Married to a fire bender with ten children?” scoffed Arnaq.

“Loneliness. Such a silent killer. People rarely think about it until it all but chokes the life out of you.”

“That’s it? I’m going to die alone? Kind of already figured that one out. You aren’t very good at faking it.”

Lakshmi raised an eyebrow. “Faking it? Are you saying that for me or you?”

“For you obviously.”

“Do you honestly believe that coming to terms with your death will mean you won’t have any regrets? Or be happy in your death because even I can tell you will not. I don’t need to be a fortune teller to see that. Send in the air bender.”

Even though she didn’t believe in that type of stuff, the least the woman could have done was humor her a little bit. Make up this extravagant lie about marrying a nice man and having a bunch of children. That will never happen but now it left her wondering what Lakshmi said to the others.

“Your turn.” 

Tashi looked wide eyed at Arnaq, “Me? No. This is your thing.”

Arnaq grabbed the air bender by the arm, dragging her up, and pushing her towards the door, “If I did it, you have to do it. Call it team bonding.”

“No offense, but I’m not a part of your team, I’m just the ride for tonight.”

“Honorary member of Team Avatar for the night than.” smiled Arnaq as she pushed Tashi into the next room. 

“Did you know before the genocide, having an air bender come to your village or home was considered a sign of good luck?” asked Lakshmi.

“I did.”

“Your great-grandfather and even your grandfather for a time, was the last air bender. What a legacy, what a burden to carry.”

“It wasn’t a burden.” replied Tashi as she brought her hands out of the fortune teller’s grip.

“Wasn’t it? To have an entire culture resting upon your shoulders when you're just a child?” smiled Lakshmi.

“I thought this was going to be a fortune telling? Where are you going with this?”

“I have my speculations about your future, please, give me your palm.” That little rant made Tashi feel uneasy. “Such a long life, but you will be unhappy as your mother, her father, and his father were.”

“Unhappy?” Tashi only felt confusion because as far as she knew her mother was not unhappy. For her grandfather Tenzin and great-grandfather Aang, she would never truly know since they died long before she was born. But her mother? She was always so happy and loving.

“Yes, but don’t worry, you will live long enough to pass on your knowledge to the next generation. You will be the last of your generation. That is both a blessing and a curse, depending on your look in life, although you are an air bender so I’m sure it is a blessing.”

Tashi got up from the table and returned to the room with everyone else. She didn't even say anything to the other woman. Tashi just left in a rude manner that she knew her mother would scold her for. Zian looked at her in confusion. Knowing he was the only one left, he went into the next room. His palms felt sweaty because nobody seemed happy after they left the second room.

“Hello Avatar Zian.”

“You upset my friends.” spoke Zian as he sat down.

“Yes, well you allowed them to come here.”

“Allowed? Arnaq and Rinchen do what they want, I have never stopped them.”

“You inspire such loyalty. I have heard so much about you. It is an honor to sit in the presence of someone who symbolizes life and death.”

“Isn’t this supposed to be about you telling me my future?” asked Zian.

“You can tell a lot about someone’s future just by looking at them.”

“What do you see when you look at me?”

“Regret, pain… love.”

“Did you get that from my face or from the papers?”

“No, you are the Avatar. It’s a given.” answered Lakshmi.

“What is my future?” asked Zian.

“Short. Perhaps the shortest of any Avatar.”

Zian’s shoulders slumped down at that news. Would he die young? Korra was 35 and Aang was 66 at their deaths. He never thought about his own death but he did spend some time on Korra’s. The memories of Amon and Zaheer were permanently ingrained in his head since he was a child. But his death? It never crossed his mind because he was so wrapped up about not being good enough to call himself the Avatar.

“Is death truly a permanent thing when I am going to just be reincarnated a thousand times?” asked Zian, it was mostly a question to himself.

But Lakshmi answered anyhow, “Are you sure you will be reincarnated a thousand times more? Unalaq broke a 10,000 cycle when he ripped Raava out of Korra." Zian was scared because that was never told to the public. The young man picked up on his body language so she gave him a little smile that made him feel more uneasy. "Death is death but you always carry a piece of yourself in your next life.”

“What do I carry?”

“What makes you so special.” replied Lakshmi, but gave nothing else.

\---

When the group left the shop, none were in high spirits. As they mounted the flying sky bison, there was a horrifying silence between the group that was never there before. Niko would have tried to ask a question, Arnaq would poke fun at Niko or Rinchen, and Rinchen would try and smile and make everyone happy by bringing up a random thing.

Tashi spoke up first, “She told me I was going to be unhappy because it runs in the family.”

Everybody but Rinchen stayed quiet. “She said I was going to die young and never see my children grow up.”

“I am going to die alone.” added Arnaq.

“Is that really a shock though?” joked Zian as Arnaq punched in the shoulder.

“She didn’t even tell me my future, just said I was too clouded for her to see where I was gonna end up.” whispered Niko.

“Zian?” asked Rinchen.

“Short life.” answered Zian with a small shrug. “Korra and Aang didn’t live long lives anyhow.”

“Last time Rinchen gets to choose a fun day for us,” said Arnaq.

“Well I didn’t think it was going to happen!”

“This isn’t Rinchen’s fault-” began Zian.

“Hey I didn’t say it was her fault. That’s all you.” laughed Arnaq.

“We got a fun day out of it.”

“Eh. Noodles would make this night better.”

“Seaweed noodles?! You know they don’t make them the same in Republic City.” interjected Rinchen.

“Ugh. Can we please go somewhere where they serve something else than noodles?” asked Tashi.

“Why ‘ugh’? What do you have against noodles?” asked Arnaq.

“She thinks they're gross because they’re all slimy.” answered Zian.

“Noodles?! Gross?! They are amazing!”

“What do you eat then?” asked Niko.

“Plenty of other things, thank you.” 

“Noodles are a staple of every food we eat in this world! I can’t believe you don’t eat noodles.” said Arnaq.

“Okay I was not expecting you all to get so angry over noodles.” laughed Tashi.

“Is that an air nation thing?” asked Niko.

“No it’s not.” answered Rinchen.

“It’s a personal thing. Look! Are we going to get food or not?” asked Tashi in annoyance.

“I read about a great place not too far from here.” said Rinchen.

“Sorry sweets but you are not suggesting anything for a while, or at least until we forget this whole night even happened.” smiled Arnaq.


	4. 207AG

When Lin agreed to teach Nima, she was not expecting half a dozen people to join them. It made sense to bring Ru since she had asked and she was knowledgeable in pretty much everything. Kenji and Takashi came to be stronger benders and Takashi was a metal bender so he could possibly lava bend. When Nima had even suggested that he might lava bend someday since his mother was a fire bender and he had the fire ancestry as she did, the young man was excited at the possibility. Her grandmother Naoki was part of the Fire Nation and her uncle Mako, whose memories of the young fire bender made Lin laugh years after his death.

Once Wangchuk and Ping heard about their little adventure, they two wanted to join. Ping was part of a set now, so if he came, his wife Choden came too. As a non-bender, Choden was still a force to be reckoned with, and in certain settings reminded Lin of herself at that young age. Three turned to eight in the blink of an eye and while Lin would have complained years ago, at her age now, it was a nice reminder that she had a family. Now two weeks into their trip to learn sand bending, the group was getting frustrated.

“Would you two stop messing around!”

Lin moved her head to look behind her to see Kenji and Takashi trying to shove their hands in each other's faces. Even at seventeen years old, the twins acted as if they were still seven. Ping and Wangchuk were encouraging their behavior and that was getting a rise out of Nima.

“He’s standing too close to me!”

“I am not! I can feel you breathing on me!”

“Stop! It’s just the heat,” yelled Ru.

Lin looked forward noticing a group of men coming straight towards her. Next thing you know, the eight of them are being mugged. 

“Is this guy serious?” asked Ping.

More yelling and Lin just looked at Nima. “I’m sure you can handle this.” Lin walked away despite the robbers yelling at her to stay put. Nima, Ping, and Takashi stepped forward and were simply going to sand bend the men but that would be the obvious choice since the men trying to rob them were also sand benders. Ping and Takashi were metal benders and used the metal on them to make a sword and metal cables.

Nima got low on the ground hoping she could simply lava bend as metal bending was her second choice. Lava bending was still so rare, she had wanted to use it. Pounding her fist into the ground, Nima saw as the robbers began to use sand bending.With Ru, her brothers, sister-in-law, and cousins, Nima was fueled by anger in an instant. The ground tore open and sand went in, but the lava took a little longer to come up so Nima tried harder.

The robbers weren’t expecting a fight, especially with someone who possessed lava bending. Standing up, Nima felt something was different, but continued on as she moved the lava to shoot straight at the men. Ping and Takashi barely did anything because the lava was enough to scare them away. Looking back, Nima saw her aunt Lin, Ru, and Choden with shocked faces wanting to make sure they were okay first. Nima turned around quickly thinking she had burned her brother or cousin but they were fine. Then she looked up at the aftermath in front of her and realized that’s what they were looking at. There was no lava, instead, it was glass staring back at them. It reminded Nima of ice spikes but she was no water bender. 

Ru was the first to go near the glass, touching the spikes and realizing how deadly they could be. Wangchuk followed Ru’s movements but looked at Nima, who was still frozen in place. Ru looked at Nima after trying to break the glass with her foot and then air bending. “You did this.” It wasn’t meant to be in a harsh tone but that’s how it came out.

“I didn’t mean to.”

“She made glass,” said Takashi with a big smile on his face.

“How did she make glass?” Kenji was shocked.

“Ru,” said Ping. If anybody had answers, it would be Ru.

“I’ve only read about this in books and even then never like this she only broke it. You… you formed it. Nobody at the time really wrote things down so it’s only speculated that she did break the glass. But she lived long so she may have and just never used it considering she had so many other bending abilities.” Now Ru seemed to be talking to herself as she continued to inspect the glass. The robbers were long gone, scared to death because of what Nima had done.

“Who is _she_?” asked Nima in frustration.

“Avatar Kyoshi of course!”

“Great.” Nima stormed off in the other direction as Wangchuk followed her. 

“Glass bending!” smiled Ru. “We just saw the first time someone has bent glass in centuries! Centuries! This is a moment in history that people will never stop reading about. And we just experienced it!” laughed Ru in shock.

Kenji and Takashi stood by Lin. “Can Nima claim she’s the greatest earth bender since great-grandma since she invented a new type of bending too?” asked Kenji.

“You heard Ru, Avatar Kyoshi could do it,” replied Lin.

“Yeah but Avatar Kyoshi isn’t known to have made glass, she just broke it. If Nima masters it and expands on it, doesn’t that make her the greatest earth bender since great-grandma?” asked Takashi.

Lin could only worry about Nima. The young girl struggled to live up to the legacy of Toph Beifong, as Lin once did. It made her bitter and angry for years, and sometimes Lin could see that in Nima. When she broke up with Zian and started this spiritual journey, it hurt Lin to see her niece going through the same thing except Nima had condensed things into a few years rather than a few decades.

Now at the age of eighty-seven, Lin thought she had seen it all. Metal bending, blood bending, sand bending, spirit bending, energy bending, and now apparently… glass bending. If her mother could see this she would joke about being upstaged as the greatest earth bender, but then probably say she’s glad it was her great-granddaughter of all people. But all Lin could think about was the pressure this would add to Nima.

“How did this happen?” asked Lin.

“Nima you were trying to lava bend right?!” yelled Ru.

“Yes,” replied Nima as she walked back to the group with Wangchuck by her side.

“My guess is your attempt at lava bending while we are surrounded by sand created glass bending but your emotions created spikes. You were angry weren’t you?”

“I didn’t want them to hurt any of you,” answered Nima.

“Your thoughts were probably to kill and that meant creating spikes that would do that.”

“It’s not fair, she gets all the cool bending.” scoffed Takashi.

“You have metal bending.” reminded Lin.

“But that isn’t cool when everyone has them,” replied Takashi. Lin wanted to correct the young man about metal bending was not very common but in the family, it was.

“I don’t want to train anymore.”

“We are leaving for the Earth Nation,” announced Lin.

“Why are we going there? We haven’t even mastered sand bending,” asked Takashi.

“Because everyone is going to learn from someone we used to know. We can wait to do sand bending later.”

Takashi and Kenji left with Nima while Ru stayed behind the group with Lin. “Who are we visiting?”

“Kuvira.”

“‘ _The Great Unifier_ ’ Kuvira? Why are going to her?” asked Ru.

“Su taught her everything she knows and as much as I hate to admit it, Kuvira is one of the best metal benders in the world. Her fighting is different from mine so you all could learn a thing or two from her.”

“Learn something from a woman who tried to kill our family and friends? She orchestrated a genocide! She was-”

“Kurvira did a lot of wrongs but she is no longer in a position to act upon them. This is all for learning purposes. I shouldn’t have to explain that to you. You have always wanted to learn everything, especially when it came to the four elements.” interrupted Lin.

“Are we going to come back for the sand bending?” 

“Once Nima comes to terms with what happened, then yes. This is the change in her life that will either make her the greatest earth bender the world has ever seen, or it will break her.”

“As it did with Princess Azula?” asked Ru. She read so many stories about what happened to the child prodigy. Azula was one of the few situations where Ru did not see black and white, just too many shades of gray.

Lin could not answer Ru for a number of reasons, but mostly because she was afraid of the truth.

* * *

\---

Kuvira never expected to see the Beifongs after so many years. She had hurt them all, but when Nima Beifong came up to her, Kuvira knew something was wrong with her, although anyone could see that on her face. 

“We’ll leave you two alone to talk,” announced Ru as she led her younger cousins away.

Nima and Kuvira were left alone with guards, who never left Kuvira out of their sight since she pled guilty all those years ago. “Nima Beifong.” nodded Kuvira.

“I’m not a Beifong.”

“Last time I saw you, you had just started walking. I heard you could earth bend not too long after that.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Very rare for that to happen, but when you come from a family like yours, I guess that is expected.”

“Truthfully, I do not understand why I am here.”

“Lin knows I can teach you a couple of things. What is your weapon of choice?”

“In a fight?” asked Nima.

“Yes, in a fight.”

“Nothing really. Every fight might require a different weapon.” 

“Tell me what you use to create a weapon.”

“I have metal on my shoes that I use to make knives. Good for climbing, either to stop from falling or for going up.”

“How are you with hand to hand combat?” asked Kuvira.

“Always improving.”

“Your arms,” said Kuvira as she gestured at the metal on Nima’s arms. 

“I use it for knives, swords, and metal cables.”

“Your uncles taught you how to use metal cables?”

“They did.”

“They learned from Su and Lin so I’m assuming you are good at it. Do you have metal gloves?”

“Yes, my grandma gave me some every couple of years to help with the metal bending but I hate wearing them,” answered Nima.

“Seismic sense?”

“No, I’ve tried but it never happened.”

“Lava bending?”

“Good,” answered Nima.

“Lie detection?”

“Never mastered it.”

“Anything else?” asked Kuvira.

“What do you know about Avatar Kyoshi?” asked Nima.

“As much as everyone else.”

“Do you think there is room for another type of bending?”

“There always is. There is much to explore and we are only at the beginning. The spirit energy and Korra were proof of that,” answered Kuvira. When Korra created the third spirit portal, she managed to bend a unnatural amount of spirit energy. Everyone believed that incident and her countless near death experiences sent one of the greatest Avatars to an early death. It was just another reason for the Beifongs to look at Kuvira with much disdain. 

“I made glass.”

“You made glass?”

“I tried to lava bend surrounded by sand and made glass instead. I formed it and used it as a weapon.”

“Of course a Beifong would event another type of bending.” 

Kuvira gave this chilling smirk to the young girl. “I’m not a Beifong,” replied Nima.

“Of course you are. Why do you refuse to call yourself one? There was a time when all I wanted in the world was to be one.”

“My entire life I have been told that I will be a great earth bender, the greatest since Toph Beifong. I never wanted that put on me so I turned into anger. Anger for my failures, my family, and the world because nobody ever thought that kind of pressure would destroy a child, especially since children helped end several wars.”

“My parents thought I was too difficult so Su took me in. They thought having an earth bending master would change me for the better. They dismissed me and cast me aside because they deemed me a danger.” Kuvira wanted to show Nima that she understood where the young woman was coming from but Kuvira looked away as if she was shameful and guilty.

“And then my family turned their back on you after you attacked them and tried to rid your empire of non-earth benders. My mother is an air bender, would you have rid her from her home?”

“Your family turned their back on me long before that.”

“Was that always your plan or did things get out of hand and you said whatever you could to stay in power?” asked Nima.

“I wanted to establish order.” How many times could Kuvira say that just to make others believe it? In the decades since, no one had. Nima started to walk away but Kuvira called out, “I want to see you fight, no bending. Bring one of Wing’s boys.”

Nima did not reply and Kuvira wasn’t sure she would come back. The door opened and Kuvira snapped her head up and looked at Lin coming in with her nieces and nephews. It was hard to imagine that the people she grew up with now had children of their own and those children were the same age as when they took up arms against the Earth Empire. While most of the Beifongs stepped back, Nima and Takashi stayed close and stared at each other. 

The silence ended when Takashi spoke up, “No cheap shots.”

“I should say that to you,” smirked Nima. 

“Try not to hurt my face too much, mom would be pissed.”

“Sure.”

The cousins raised their fists waiting a good amount of time for one of them to make the first move. Nima threw the first kick but Takashi blocked it before returning a kick back to his cousin. A block made by Nima allowed her to get low and punch him in the stomach with her left and then punch Takashi in the face with her right. Going in for a kick to the chest, Takashi blocked Nima again. The young man took a chance before Nima could land another kick and was able to kick right on her thigh.

Stumbling back in some tenderness, there were a couple of seconds where the two just looked at each other. Nima attempted to punch Takashi in the face again but he slapped her hand away and tried to backhand Nima in the face but she did the same thing. The force was enough to let Takashi get off balance. The attempt failed because the younger metal bender did not budge. 

The cousins had very different styles of fighting when it came to bending. Nima was light on her feet and took after air benders with more defense than offense while preferring to be in the air when fighting for an advantage. Takashi was more grounded in his fighting, finding the more traditional earth bending more to his liking. But his moves were more graceful because he applied acrobatics and traditional fire bending into his fighting. That all came from his mother and older Fire Nation cousins. 

Nima put her energy into a kick again but this time she was able to hit Takashi in the chest and he stumbled back. He smiled at Nima and took a deep breath in to recover from the hit. Brushing it off, Takashi rolled his shoulders back and raised his fists. Nima lunged forward just a bit but she didn’t hit him instead she let out a small chuckle as he flinched. Takashi could not help but smile at the teasing.

Switching his stance Nima aimed for his chest again and while it did hurt, Takashi stepped back taking some of the force off the hit. One punch after another Nima was getting slightly frustrated at her younger cousin blocking her hits. Small slaps on her hands were the only sounds being made and the occasional grunt. Even the kicks Nima was giving did not get a sound out of her. More punches were being thrown and Takashi did manage to lightly knick Nima’s chin.

The unexpected blow of the fight so far was made when Nima’s left hand that collided perfectly with Takashi’s right cheek. Seizing the opportunity, Nima aimed for Takashi’s throat with her boot but getting a sense for Nima’s pattern, he leaned backward and Nima missed him. Grabbing onto his shoulders, Takashi felt the force of Nima’s knee right in his gut and she was going in for a second hit. Taking both his hands, Takashi pushed her knee away slightly turning to his left to get out her grip.

Still standing close, Nima got a hard blow to her upper chest by Takashi’s elbow and the wind was knocked out of her for a second. Taking a hard step back to keep from stumbling, Nima landed two weak punches to his face and there was still the first shock from Takashi because he was not expecting her to recover so fast from one of his hits. Nima attempted another kick to the face and a second later Takashi did the same thing. Neither hit each other, but Takashi came an inch away from landing a near ending move.

The two attempted to kick each other in the knee and it gave Nima a second of an advantage to put her remaining strength in the punch. It worked because Takashi stumbled back feeling a throbbing pain in his face. Getting on the ground, Nima whirled around making contact with his ankles and Takashi landed on his ass with a loud thud. Nima lifted her leg into the air and brought it hard to the ground meant for Takashi but he rolled as fast as he could away.

On one knee, Nima attempted to kick him right in the face and Takashi was barely able to block the hit. Nima attempted a second hit but Takashi held onto her right leg and threw her to the ground and aimed a punch to his cousin’s face.

Nima didn’t attempt to block her face knowing she was going to use too much energy. Instead she kicked Takashi in the chest again. He stumbled back a couple of steps and it gave Nima enough time to get back onto her feet. The two looked at each other taking a minute to control their breathing and recover from the hard hits. At the same time, the two began calculating their next moves.

In a second, Nima kicked first with her right leg only to put all her force into her left leg which wanted to knock Takashi out. Anticipating another kick, Takashi got low and used his energy to land a punch on Nima’s shoulder. He blocked another punch from Nima and kicked her right on the left side of her body. It wasn’t a hard hit so Nima continued punching him in the stomach, chest, and then in the face. Hesitant to punch Nima in the face again, he was already bleeding from his nose and cheek where Nima succeeded in opening up a wound.

Another kick in the face, Takashi let go of that hesitation in the blink of an eye. One punch to the face knocked Nima to the ground and the room filled with gasps. Tasting metallic in her mouth, Nima reasoned with herself. If she got up and tried to kick him like before, he would block it, but if she got him on the ground she may stand a chance.

Lunging for Takashi, Nima was able to grab onto his shoulders and push herself up into the air. Wrapping her legs around his neck she flipped him on his back. Seconds later Takashi had done a similar move and grabbed onto Nima’s leg and lifted her only to slam her down into the ground. The wind was knocked out of her and it took a couple of tries to get up. Seeing her get up and go for him, Takashi raised his fist to punch Nima in the face again but she had kicked him in the chest in anger.

There were minutes of dodged punches and blocked kicks by the both of them. Kuvira studied Nima’s moves to get a feel for weaknesses and strengths. Takashi and Nima continued on fighting as Ping, Choden, Wangchuk, and Ru had stepped away feeling unsettled with the fight and the amount of blood. Kenji and Lin remained watching as the cousins continued. There was a second where everyone in the room thought it was over because Nima was on her knees and Takashi had his fist in the air ready to bring it down on her face.

Already on the ground and in close proximity, Nima punched Takashi right in the balls, and the young man hunched over in pain. Still, on her knees, Nima slammed her head into Takashi in a brutal move that left the two light-headed. One arm was around Takashi’s neck as Nima pushed herself into the air, locked herself straight, and used what little strength she had left to bring Takashi over her body and onto the ground. While he was not much younger than him, Takashi was a late bloomer so they had similar body types.

He got up, much faster than Nima had expected, but she lunged for him again and the two rolled until managed to get on his back and wrap her arms around his neck and squeeze. Takashi was not giving up and it worried everyone.

“Tap out Takashi!” yelled Kenji.

But he didn’t, Takashi slammed his elbow into Nima’s side and while she didn’t let her grip on his neck go completely, she did loosen it. With more room, Takashi brought his head forward slowly and then in one sharp movement, threw his head back colliding with Nima’s nose the most. Another hit to the head. While Takashi didn't want to make such a hit he realized it was his only chance to get air circulating to his head again. Giving himself a couple of seconds, Takashi could breathe again so he reached backward for Nima’s shirt getting a good grip and threw her over him and onto the ground.

While Kenji had turned away not wanting to know what would happen next, Lin watched as Nima stayed on the ground and ended up kicking Takashi twice. The first was a hit to the chest but the second was beneath his jaw and saw the blood come out and splatter on the side. There was no good ending to this fight.

“Enough.” Takashi and Nima stopped and gathered themselves as Lin approached them. “Find a healer.” The cousins nodded at the instructions.

Takashi pulled her into a side hug as they walked away. Kenji could see the blood starting to dry up on both of them, but he was more curious about the damage that could have been done if their aunt did not step in and end the fight. 

“You didn’t have to end the fight,” said Kuvira.

“They would not have stopped.”

“Too stubborn or too good?” asked Kuvira. Lin didn’t reply so Kuvira continued on, “She is good and so is he but what else is expected? Nima told me about the glass bending.” Lin remained silent and still. “Without her bending, she can hold her own. She fights like a fire bender, offense if you will, but I want to see her bending.”

“It’s up to her,” replied Lin.

“Not with Takashi. He’s a metal bender and I can see what she is capable of with someone of her own. I want to see her against another element.”

“Ru and Wangchuk do not fight and if they did, they would not fight their sister.”

“Then the other twin will do… no one will forget her name after this and what she will do for all earth benders who come after,” smiled Kuvira.

“And if she doesn’t live up to this image everyone has put on her?” asked Lin.

“She already has. You know it or else you wouldn’t be here talking to me. She is already great, but she still has much to learn.”

Lin walked away and found healers working on Takashi and Nima surrounded by the rest of the family. “Didn’t think we would need healers on this trip.” joked Wangchuk.

“That fight was amazing!” yelled Kenji. 

“Kenji! Seriously?” scolded Ru.

“You guys left before the good part.” chuckled Kenji as he relived the intense fight again in his mind.

“Believe me I saw the fight in every bruise and cut on their faces and I hate it,” said Ru.

“It wasn’t that bad!” yelled Takashi from the water. 

Takashi and Nima were in a pool of water being healed by two water benders. The aching was gone and so were the bigger areas of bruises and blood but the healers still had much more to do before Lin would let Nima fight another cousin or even stand up on her own.

“We’ll give you some time to relax. In an hour we’ll come back and continue.”

“Thank you,” said Nima and Takashi as the healers left the room.

“You did a cheap shot!” yelled Takashi as he splashed some water into Nima’s face.

“Always use your enemies’ weaknesses against them. Not my fault that area is sensitive for men. Besides you basically punched me in the boob!”

“Gross.” interrupted Kenji.

“I should tell my uncle that you risked a Prince of the Fire Nation from continuing on the family!” joked Takashi.

“And I’ll tell mom that you headbutted me!”

“You kicked me in the face!”

“She did what?!” yelled Ru.

“Oh it wasn’t that bad. I didn’t knock him out.” laughed Nima.

* * *

\---

Nima looked at Kuvira before turning her attention back to Kenji. When Lin said Nima had to fight Kenji next, the older twin was more than excited because he would use his bending. Since their trip began almost three weeks ago, Kenji had been determined to master the sub elements of fire bending which meant producing lightning. With a metal bender father, it had become obvious that multicultural families can give their children advantages when it came to bending. Now he wanted to know what he was capable of being the son of a fire bender and a metal bender.

Now outside, the Beifongs kept their distance knowing that a fight using bending could prove disastrous. Kenji began the fight with a stream of fire aimed at Nima but she created a column of rock to shoot herself into the air. He lost her in the sun for a second before throwing fireballs into the air. Coming down from the air in a sheet of rock, Nima used the metal on her body to create metal cables and wrap them around Kenji’s wrists bounding them together. He broke out them fairly quickly and more fire was being thrown at Nima.

Kenji was an arm’s length away, Nima was able to create a gauntlet of rock to block the fire outward. Once the heat was gone, Nima launched a gauntlet, now a rock shaped like a fist, straight at Kenji’s face. In a blink of an eye, both were now shooting fireballs and pieces of rock shaped like bullets at each other.

In the second, all they saw was blue. Nima stood there marveling at the sight before putting up a sheet of rock to block the lightning. The rock blew up in front of her into small pieces. Kenji was still in shock about what happened that Nima took the opportunity to teether him to the ground. “Kenji!” yelled Nima in excitement. 

She ran up to him but he laughed at her, “Uh, Nima.” He looked down at the earth that constricted him.

“Oh, right, sorry.”

“You made lightning!” yelled Takashi as he pulled her twin brother into a hug.

“Being tied to the earth is not fun. I felt like I was suffocating,” said Kenji as he brushed off little pieces of rock from his body.

The family celebrated in this newfound sub-element for Kenji. Lightning generation was the one major sub-element that Kenji did not possess. He even knew had to use his fire bending to fly like his uncle Iroh. 

Kuvira smiled at Nima which made her turn back to her aunt Lin in suspicion. “You could have subdued your cousin within the first couple of seconds and yet you didn’t.”

“You wanted a show. If I beat Kenji by trapping him to the earth or by making sand and putting him in the ground to his neck, it would be too quick. You didn’t stop me and Takashi when we spilled blood and there was a lot of it.” answered Nima.

“Kenji isn’t an experienced fighter. Maybe I should have asked to go against your sister.”

“Ru doesn’t fight. She’s all about books.” 

“The group's talent is limited. Air is the opposite of earth in terms of bending. Although earth bending has evolved dramatically thanks to your family.”

“I don't understand.”

“Bending earth is about connection, stability, and stubbornness of both the rock and the person bending it. Your great-grandmother’s time with Avatar Aang changed that because now metal benders are more in the air than ever before. Right, Chief Beifong?”

Lin hadn't been Republic City's Chief of Police in decades. Using that title from anyone else might have been seen as respectful but coming from Kuvira, it felt like the exact opposite. “She was always about using her greatest weakness and turning it into her greatest strength. It’s what made her the greatest earth bender in history.” agreed Lin.

“And now her great-granddaughter had created glass bending. Lava bending is already so rare, but what you have created in years ahead of everyone else. Work on it, master it, and you will work wonders around everyone.” ended Kuvira.

Nima walked away leaving Kuvira and Lin alone with a dozen guards who were sworn to secrecy. “She must create glass when not surrounded by sand. Nima must work quickly to make sand then use lava bending to create glass. That type of work is something you are more suited for.” 

“I know and she will.” agreed Lin. 

Lin left Kuvira alone and found Nima sitting on the ground not too far away from the door. “How old were you when you killed someone?” asked Nima.

It took a minute for Lin to answer. “Seventeen.”

“What happened?”

“They were going to kill Tenzin.”

“So you killed a man to protect someone you love?”

“Yes but I did it because I loved a man far greater and the future of the Air Nation was his legacy.” answered Lin.

“Aang?”

“He was… like a father.”

“I’m nineteen and I’ve never killed a man.”

“It changes you and stays with you far longer than you would want.”

“When I went into the spirit world Koh the face stealer told me I’m going to hold the world in my arms as it lay dying. I then realized that it was Zian. Who else would it be? He’s the Avatar and the person I love.” confessed Nima.

Lin had heard stories about Koh the face stealer from Aang and thanked the spirits she never had been face to face with that thing. “You want to protect Zian.” Lin should have seen it because she had the same thoughts all those years ago to protect Aang and Tenzin. It was part of the reason she joined the police force.

“I want to protect him so I have to kill all those who want to bring him harm.”

“Nima, I won’t stop you.”

“Really?”

“I’m not going to stop you because this is what you want. Everyone else in this family has done so, but know that your death will be felt in this family greater than you can understand right now.”

“Well I don’t plan on dying.” laughed Nima.

“But it can happen when you're going against dangerous people in the name of love. Do you honestly believe Zian would be okay knowing you are risking your life for his?” asked Lin.

“Did Tenzin? Did Aang?”

“It is not the same.” argued Lin.

“Why? Because you got a badge and I’ll be considered a vigilante? We are doing the exact same thing.”

“This family has done plenty of illegal things so I can’t use that argument-”

“Great-grandma Toph was a fugitive and scammed people before going against the Firelord and helped end a literal war at twelve. Grandma Su did whatever she pleased like give you that scar. My own mother went against Kuvira and no matter how many people say it was the better or the greater good of the world they still had to go against society and the laws that protected those so called bad guys.” interrupted Nima.

“You are as stubborn as every other woman in this family.” muttered Lin.

“I know you don’t agree-”

“I never said that. I said that what you are doing is dangerous and you cannot expect me to not tell your parents and grandparents this plan.”

“If you tell them, they’ll try and stop me. Then everyone will know what I am trying to do and you and them would be the reason I am in more danger.”

“Spirits, what I was going to say before you interrupted me and then went on this little rant… I can’t use that argument because you are right. In this family to argue legality despite mom and I being police-”

“Retired.” interrupted Nima.

“Yes, retired.” grumbled Lin.

“I still don’t understand how she became Chief of Police.”

“Again with the interruptions.”

“Sorry.” winced Nima. 

“At the first sign of real trouble I need to know you will call on us. Promise me that you will call for help.”

“I would put all of you in danger.” said Nima.

“Wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened in this family.”

“Okay. I promise. But how?”

“Send us a message but make it a lie. Believable to the rest of the world but not to us.”

“Then the lie is ‘Stop trying to find me I want nothing to do with you.’” replied Nima.

“That could be…. No you’re right.”

“No matter what happens in the world, I would always want to know where everyone is doing. It really hurt to never hear from Ru, Wangchuk, and Ping all those years.” confessed Nima.

“I understand. Su traveled the world after leaving to our grandparents. I was always worried about her.” Nima gave Lin a hug.

“Dad always joked that we are so alike.”

Lin pulled away from their hug. “Well I don’t know if that is a good thing.”

“Of course it’s a good thing. Meelo still says you are his hero to this day after you sacrificed yourself to save the Air Nation from Amon. Uncle Mako said you were like a second mother and he took everything you said to heart because he respected you that much.”

Mako. Another person Lin never liked to talk about. It had been 12 years since his death. Nima had been seven when her uncle died protecting Zian. It seemed both poetic and ironic that Nima’s great-grandfather died protecting Korra and her uncle died protecting Zian. It reassured a young Nima that her purpose was to serve and protect the Avatar. Perhaps one day, she would die protecting the next Avatar?

“Can I ask you something?” asked Nima. Lin did not say no, or anything for that matter, so Nima continued, “Was there ever a part of you that thought maybe you loved Tenzin because you wanted to protect him and the future of the Air Nation because of your love of Aang? Like if you loved each other, got together and married it would be easier to protect him? Then if you got married then he would be safe… with you, right?”

Lin thought about it, perhaps for too long because she never liked to think about the ‘ _what if’s_ ’ in her relationship with Tenzin. It was so long ago and he did marry and have kids and grandkids of his own, “I don’t know.”

“Since I could walk, I could bend. Then I was told I would be a master earth bender in no time. So that meant I would teach and serve the Avatar like my family has done for generations. Maybe I love Zian because I wanted to protect him? Can it be that?”

“It wasn’t like that for me.” confessed Lin.

“Is it like that for me? If not, then what is it? Duty and love? Aren’t those two the same?”

“Not for everyone.”

“I came to terms that I was not like everyone a long time ago.”

“I wish I had the answers you were seeking.”

“I know, but you are the only one who understands even a little bit. I can’t talk to mom or grandma Su. They wouldn’t understand loving someone so rare. I love dad and grandpa but it’s not the same.” said Nima.

* * *

\---

“Arnaq, will you please leave us.”

Zian looked up and saw Jinora standing at the door. For the past hour Arnaq was healing him after a fight against a spirit. Some teengers were messing with one of the spirits near the third portal which resulted in some others attacking any human they saw. Zian was called but could not control what happened next.

People died and the spirits were vengeful. There was no negotiating anything and Zian had to fight. He didn’t want it, but he had to, and it had to do it alone. The spirits were angry at him because he sided with the humans and the humans were mad at him for not choosing to willingly kill a spirit. 

He was torn between the two worlds he meant to protect. He tried his best, to talk things through but no one was going to listen to him. Rinchen begged him to be careful with the spirits but when one of them attacked her, he had no other choice. Arnaq worked first to try and save Rinchen but then spirits attacked her. Zian, the last to do anything, was stuck in what felt like another world or another time. He got flashbacks of another spirit being subdued. There was water around the spirit, but Zian just shook his head to get out of the flashback and continued on. 

“Tell me what happened.” whispered Jinora as she sat across from him.

Everything spilled out of Zian faster than he could speak. Things were making no sense sometimes and Zian tried his best, but Jinora was having difficulty following. At the end Zian was frustrated and lashed out.“I’m the worst Avatar ever!”

“No, Zian there are no bad Avatars.” replied Jinora.

“I am! I can’t metal bend or lava bend. I can’t make lightning or heal. All I do is talk to people but they won’t even listen. I tried to talk to the people to leave the spirits alone but then they said I chose spirits over humans and brought up Korra saying she made a mistake bringing the two worlds together. I tried talking to the spirits and they said the Avatar will always side the humans because that’s what I’ve always done. But how can people hate me for things I did in my past life?” asked Zian.

“Your next life will fix what you cannot do in this lifetime. You are tasked with finishing what your past lives could not do on their own. It’s the cycle of the Avatar, of you, Zian. Roku spared Sozin’s life thus inciting a war so my grandfather had to end the hundred year war. Aang later spared Yakone and Korra had to deal with his sons. Korra could not bridge the ten thousand year gap between humans and spirits. Your next life will have to deal with something you could not finish.”

“Maybe sparing a life isn’t the answer anymore, valuing all life equally. Maybe in a time of war and violence, it showed great courage but now? It’s more of a burden than anything.” replied Zian.

“The Avatar must value all forms of life.”

“Even the lives of those who would kill and lie? I am to hold criminals and madmen to the same as innocents? How does that make any sense?! I am not an air bender, I am not a pacifist like you and your family.”

“It is in your nature Zian. You are an air bender. You are the Avatar. You hold all life as equal.”

“And maybe that is the problem.” Zian’s voice cracked.

“Zian-”

“I have to leave. I have no place here.” interrupted Zian.

Jinora wanted to correct him but then she remembered that Korra went through something similar. Korra left Tezin, her air bending teacher and started her own journey where she found Mako, Asami, and Bolin. Then Korra left Katara, her water bending teacher to recover from Zaheer. Perhaps that is what Zian needed. “Okay. I ask that Tashi go with you. She can still help you with your airbending.”

Zian calmed down and looked at Jinora with such sad eyes that it pained her heart. “I… thank you.”

“Republic City is my grandfather’s legacy. The spirit portals are Korra’s. You need to find yours. I hope that you find what you are looking for.”

Zian walked to the water to calm down. Sitting down on the sand and hearing the waves crash was the most he felt at peace in a long time. Seeing a blue of blue behind him Zian brushed it off, “Arnaq, leave me alone.”

“I’m not Arnaq.”

Zian whipped his head back. “Korra.”

“Hello, Zian.”

“Are you really here?”

“I am.” smiled Korra.

“How?”

“When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change.”

“This is my lowest point?” scoffed Zian.

“No but your spiritual connection is greater than ever before. You allowed me to come and talk to you”

“I’m sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for?”

“I’m not a great Avatar. I’m not like you.”

“Zian, you are me. You are me as I am Aang, Roku, Kyoshi, and the hundreds of lives before that. Your doubt, your fears, your will power, they are all me, you and all those who came before us.” replied Korra.

“I’m not worthy enough to call myself the Avatar. Maybe my next life will do better than me.”

“Being the Avatar in this day and age is a learning experience. We are the beginning of a new era. You cannot expect to have everything and fix everything all in one day or even one lifetime. I did not.”

“Jinora said something similar.”

“I would think so, she’s a very smart woman. You should listen to her more.”

“I wish I could talk to my other lives. No offense, but I could learn something from them right?”

Korra smiled at him, “Close your eyes for a second.”

Zian did so but when he opened his eyes he was greeted by Aang. “ _When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change_.” For the first time ever, Zian saw his past lives through Korra. Aang, Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk, Yangchen, Szeto, and hundreds of more of his lifetimes stood before him. Unalaq fused with Vaatu and destroyed his past lives during Korra’s lifetime. When he called on his past lives for advice, the only face that would be staring back at him would be Korra’s.

This was the moment she got her bending back after Amon. Then for the first and last time ever, Zian saw all his past lives go into the Avatar state and then disappear. Unknowingly, he got himself out of the memory and hugged Korra. At first he was shocked he could touch her, but then he held onto her for dear life.

“I can’t be the Avatar,” said Zian.

“You already are. Even though we should learn from those who came before us, we must also forge our own path. It is a new era and you have strength inside of you that will forge worlds together. Do not think you are weak, your very existence is the opposite of that.”

* * *

\---

Leaving Republic City was something Zian did not want to do. Tashi would join them, although everyone knew she didn’t want to leave Air Temple Island. They had been such good friends years ago but then he and Nima broke up. Tashi’s loyalty unknowingly went to Nima since they grew up together and held a strong bond. 

Tashi and Nima were only a couple of months apart, with Tashi born first in the autumn and then Nima born in next spring. The two women were part of a lasting legacy of their families. It started with Aang and Toph then Tenzin and Lin, and Opal and Jinora. Sometimes Tashi thought the spirits were rewarding Beifong's devotion to the Avatar and the world by giving Opal air bending after Harmonic Convergence. What could be more poetic than Toph and her granddaughter saving the Air Nation and later rebuilding it.

Knowing Zian very well, Tashi did what no one wanted, she called Nima to help him. As both were in the Earth Nation, the air bender believed if anyone could get through to Zian, it would be Nima, his first and probably his greatest love. Getting Nima to come and visit was the harder part because they were on opposite sides of the Earth Nation. 

So when Tashi used Kiki to pick up Nima, she was not expecting to find half of the Beifong family to be there. The two left and while Tashi wanted to ask questions, she knew whatever they were doing, it was best to not bring it up again. While on the ride back, the two women started talking for the first time in a while.

“My mom asked that I come with Zian on this journey of his.” Tashi didn’t want Nima to think this was her idea to leave with Zian on one of his life changing journeys.

“Did you want to say no?” asked Nima, knowing that Tashi, despite the awkwardness, had loved Zian like a brother and wanted to protect him as well. 

“I’m out of place.” confessed Tashi. It wasn’t a no, but it was still concerning for Nima.

“You? Out of place with Zian? That is hard to believe.”

“Rinchen, Arnaq, and now Niko, they are a part of this new part of his life. It’s not like when we were kids when it was just us.”

“You are one of his oldest friends, I’m sure he appreciates you being by his side. One of us should have been there from the very beginning”

“Maybe, but I don’t see myself lasting long. We have been replaced Nima.” said Tashi.

Then the two returned into silence but it was quickly ended by Nima changing the subject a little. This was not a time to sulk and wish for things out of hand. “Do you wish we could go back to those days on Air Temple Island? Right when Zian got there and before everyone started following Ru’s lead and leaving?”

“Sometimes but I think it’s mostly the fact that we had little to worry about. We were just children without much responsibility outside our bending.”

“I feel like a child now. We had to grow up fast being who we were, who our families were. We never had a chance to be normal children. Now when I want that innocence I’m told I can’t because I am too old and much accept all these responsibilities than have been forced upon me.” confessed Nima.

“Were we ever suited for a life of normalcy? Even without our families, we are powerful benders in our own right. I got my tattoos at thirteen and you became a master earth bender at twelve. That isn’t normal.”

“I craved a life I was not destined to have and it made me bitter. So I simply accepted things as they were… I asked aunt Lin if I fell in love with Zian because it was convenient for me.”

“What did she say?”

“That I didn’t, just like she didn’t fall in love with your grandfather out of convenience. Two kids fall in love because they bear the heavy burden of two crushing legacies? How does that not sound like a convenience? Besides, Zian is the Avatar, he could get anyone he wants. He’s always had men and women groveling at his feet for a second of his time.” 

“Okay, take it from someone who grew up with the both of you, that type of love I have seen before. I see it with my mom and dad every day of my life. You should see the way you would relax in each other’s presence sometimes. Spirits and the way you two would look at each other, it was sickening! The smiles and the way you wouldn’t have to look for each other in a room because you already knew where each other were. You and Zian are in love. I don’t understand how you would even doubt it.” laughed Tashi.

“He has Rinchen-”

“Have you met Rinchen? She is not interested in Zian. If anything she’s more interested in you than him.”

“I wasn’t thinking that! Wait… you know what, we’ll come back to that. What I was going to say is that he has Rinchen, Arnaq, and that new guy-”

“Niko.” interrupted Tashi.

“Niko… he does not need me. We have long passed that.”

“You are wrong about that. You wouldn’t be flying across the Earth Nation if it was.”

“Truthfully, I was going to wing it. You didn’t tell me much about what is going on because Zian should.”

“Knowing you came when he is at his most vulnerable would mean a lot to him. It always has.”

* * *

\---

And Tashi was right. When Zian saw Nima get down from that flying bison his heart swelled. While he showed no real emotions in his face or posture, he felt everything in the pit of his stomach. The group of friends left the former couple alone and in that privacy, and Nima wasted no time. “Did I ever tell you the first time I knew I loved you?”

“No.” answered Zian.

“It was the day after my family told me I became a master earth bender. I hated every second of everyone congratulating me and telling what good I was going to do by your side, what I could achieve. You and I went down to the water and sat in the sand until the sun came up the next day.”

“We scared everyone that night.” smiled Zian recalling that childhood memory.

“We sat in silence for hours under the moon to the sound of waves crashing. I didn’t know what exactly love was back then but looking back, I know now that it was and so much more. We knew each other better than we knew ourselves.”

“You loved me for five years?”

“Seven.” corrected Nima.

Zian did the math in his head. “You still love me?”

“Of course I do Zian.”

“Do you remember the first night I spent at Air Temple Island?” asked Zian.

“Yeah, I caught you eavesdropping in on a White Lotus meeting.”

“And I cried that night because everyone was worried if I was truly the Avatar. Your dad fought for me, he tried to assure everyone I was the next one. He was always my most vocal supporter. I mastered earth bending but I couldn’t metal bend or lava bend. I felt like a failure in the South and I felt it again hours after coming to live on the island.”

“We sat in silence then too.”

“We did. We didn’t even need words to say that we will always be there for each other.”

“I’m sorry for not leaving that day.” apologized Nima.

“I’m sorry for asking you to leave.”

“I would have done a lot of things differently.”

“But would have it been for the better?” asked Zian.

“We would still be together.” answered Nima.

“But would it have been for the better?” repeated Zian.

“To be by your side, of course it would.”

“What we have, doesn’t have to be put into time. I will always love you, together or not. I would still love you no matter what happens. It doesn’t matter where the world takes us.”

“I would die to protect you.” confessed Nima.

“I would learn to heal for you.”

“I wish you could see how strong you are, and I’m not talking about bending.”

“Nima-”

“No, you carry the weight of ten thousand years of issues on your shoulders. You are more than just the Avatar. You are strong, kind, and a better person than many of the people out there. I wish you could see yourself through my eyes and realize what a powerful man you are.” Nima’s voice cracked several times as both teenagers' eyes grew red.

“I don’t want this.” confessed Zian now with tears slowly falling down his face.

“The Avatarhood or those thoughts?”

“Both. Nima, I talked to Korra. I saw them, I saw my past lives and I wish I could get them back. I wish I could heal the relationship between humans and spirits. I wish I could heal and metal bend and all those other elements my past lives could do. I want to be worthy of calling myself the Avatar.” cried Zian.

Nima hugged Zian. “You are worthy. You always have been. You are Korra, Aang, Roku, and the hundreds of Avatars that came before you. Being the Avatar isn’t what makes you special, you are what makes the Avatar so special. Your humanity.” Korra had said something similar.

“I have to leave.” Nima gave him a confused look. “I have to do my own thing. I won’t be going back to Republic City. I need to learn and being stuck in the Southern Water Tribe and then Republic City wasn’t helpful. I need to do what the Air Nation has been doing, traveling and helping people.”

“I have to leave too. I have something important to do before I can go back to Air Temple Island.”

“Is this our goodbye?”

“When have we ever said goodbye to each other?” asked Nima in a teasing manner.

“You’re right.”

“In a couple of years we will look back and laugh at everything.”

“I say we will cry. We’re emotional people.” laughed Zian.

“What are you going to do?”

“Korra told me being the Avatar now is a learning experience. I have more to learn and I can’t just stay in Republic City when my duty is to the entire world.”

“I hope you find whatever you're looking for out there.” smiled Nima.

“What are you going to do?” asked Zian.

“I’m not sure but it’s important, I can feel it.” lied Nima.

“That’s vague.”

“It’s not very important-”

“You just said it’s important.” interrupted Zian. 

“I just need to travel and do some things. It’ll be over quick.”

“You’ve spent this entire time comforting me. You deserve happiness, you know that right?” Nima remained quiet so Zian went on talking. “You put everyone before yourself. You did it with Palden and then me. You’ve only recently started doing things for yourself.”

“That’s not true.” interrupted Nima. Even when it seemed like she was leaving home to become a better earth bender, she was doing it for Zian. She was doing it for love but no one but her aunt Lin knew the truth.

“You left Air Temple Island. You have never gone anywhere where you did not have family although you have family in all four nations. You spent your entire life taking care of everyone but yourself. It was one of the reasons I fell in love with you. Your loyalty to your family and friends… your love for everyone.” Nima remained speechless. Partly because of Zian’s explanation but also because she did not want to tell Zian the truth about what she was doing. “I like that I make you speechless.” teased Zian.

“Shut up. I was just thinking.” smiled Nima.

“About what?”

“What people do for love.” 

“What would you do for love?” asked Zian. 

“Kill any man and woman who would dare to take those I love away from me. I would die to protect them.”


	5. 215AG

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notice, the time difference.

The disappearance of Nima Beifong was perhaps the least important issue the four nations had at the time. Despite being the daughter of Opal and Bolin, niece to the Chief of the Northern Water Tribe and a Princess of the Fire Nation, and granddaughter of Suyin Beifong, where Nima was created no real concern. It was almost a tradition to wander around the world but the Beifongs lack of need to find her assured the world she was fine even if the family did not have a clue where she was.

Once a year had gone by with no word, Opal and Bolin did start to worry until Lin had convinced them otherwise. Then it was Lin who worried the most because she knew what Nima was doing and she could not say a thing for fear of endangering the girl. One year quickly turned into two, then three, and by the fifth everyone had given up trying to find her. 

There were reports of a dangerous criminal going around the Earth Nation killing members of the Red Lotus. While the idea that the Red Lotus would not pose a threat for some time was appealing, this criminal was said to possess unseen bending. Lin did what she could and swore her family to secrecy about Nima’s glass bending all those years ago for her safety and they agreed. The selected few who witnessed that extraordinary event never spoke of it again, lying to their family about this criminal’s identity and it had changed them as well.

Life continued on. Marriages, deaths, and children were born in the eight years since Nima left. Zian worried after a year passed and spent a couple of months searching for Nima only to be discouraged by her family. He had to focus on his Avatar duties, but it was difficult when Nima plagued his mind. In order to get him to focus, Rinchen had an idea to separate the group. Zian, Tashi, and Niko would continue dealing with humans and spirits while Rinchen and Arnaq looked for Nima.

Uniquely, Tashi choosing Zian this time around raised an eyebrow or two. Tashi obviously knew Nima better than Rinchen or Arnaq but that didn't discourage the water bender and Air Acolyte. They had spent only a few months with Nima in Zaofu but it felt like they had known for years, just like how they felt with Zian. 

After a couple months of separation, Zian regretted it. Not only because he missed his friends and the fighting dynamic they provided, but things were getting more difficult. In his new journey he had to deal with a man who had merged with any angry spirit and viewed humans as evil and corrupted and saw spirits as a pure entity. He threatened to destroy the world and build the world anew with just spirits but the guilt of what humanity was left in him had done stopped him. 

Zian talked things through instead of fighting and it drove the human-spirit hybrid mad but the Avatar could not help but think about his last sane words.  “What of you young Avatar? Are you what is good or bad in the world? Have the spirits only chosen you to be the hand who dealt the sentence or are you acting on your own volition? How are you and I any different?”

Then there was an older earth bender who did not believe the world needed the Avatar anymore. That was hardly a new way of thinking but her reasoning was about the fate of the world and the balance of power should not be left in the hands of a sheltered child. She believed Zian did not know what it meant to struggle and work as he spent his entire life with the Air Nation, Water Tribe, and the Beifongs. But that was the reason he wanted to travel and help people because _that was_ his upbringing. That one plagued his mind too.

“The destiny of the world in the hands of a green child? How many lives will be sent to the slaughter because those who came before us failed to protect them? How many lives have been lost already to protect a boy in over his head?”

Then there was a fire bender who thought Zian was too weak to be the Avatar. They thought Zian needed to be killed so that the next incarceration would be strong and used the Fire Nation’s destruction of the Air Nation and colonization of the former Earth Kingdom as justification. As if war determined the strength a Fire Nation Avatar would have when they were supposed to be the voice of reason and justice. He tried his best to deescalate the situation, but he almost killed Zian, and he had no other choice.

He never forgot about him either. As he whispered to him with this smirk he had never seen, he leaned forward letting the knife go deeper into his heart. “Brighter the ruler, the more incapable the heir.” before Zian had taken his first life. Korra had been the capable ruler and he was the incapable heir. He had never been insulted so beautifully before.

In that moment he realized that this would not be the last life he would take. He decided at that moment as the man laid on the ground, the type of Avatar he was going to be remembered as. Either as one who would never outright take a life like Aang or do whatever it took to achieve peace as Kyoshi. Finding himself not an air bender, despite being the Avatar, he agreed to follow the last Earth Nation Avatar. 

About a year later after minor issues in villages and cities there was a master water bender who wanted revenge. When Zian was young, a master water bender from the Southern Water Tribe had put himself forth to train the Avatar. That position had been given to Eska, Chief of the Northern Water Tribe, cousin to Zian’s past life. The older man put up some protest but was ultimately taken away and banned from the compound.

Now years later, he took his revenge and attacked Eska’s children because he could not get close enough to the Chief. Zian having a friendship with Eska’s children and a duty to keep the balance by protecting the future leader of the Northern Water Tribe had wasted no time going after the revengeful man. But he had been too slow when the man had killed Prince Panuk’s wife in front of a crowd.

For the first and definitely not the last, Zian knew what it was like to be blood bended and in the Avatar state, had taken another life. Baring it all alone, Zian spiraled but he had hidden it so well that no one bothered to ask if he was okay. It was a given that everyone looked the other way mostly to avoid bringing up their own feelings, their own trauma, their own issues, and simply bury it away. Four years after Nima’s disappearance, the group came back together finally understanding that Nima did not want to be found and it hurt.

“It’s my mother.”

Zian turned around to see Tashi holding a phone to him. When Jinora called it was rarely good. Grabbing the phone, Zian spoke first. “Is everyone okay?” Zian watched as Tashi mounted Kiki, her flying bison and went into the air. Then he saw a spec of red launch itself beyond the clouds.

“Everyone is fine. You are going to the Fire Nation to meet with Firelord Iroh.” said Jinora.

“Everytime you call it’s never a good reason.” replied Zian.

“The glass bender came back and made a spectacle. The Fire Nation could not hide this incident. The leaders of the four nations are being undermined.”

“I understand.”

“Good. Besides official business, how are you?” asked Jinora.

“I lava bended for the first time a couple of days ago.”

“That’s amazing Zian.”

“Thank you. I didn’t think I would be learning new bending at this age.”

Jinora laughed, “Zian you are twenty seven. Korra learned lightning generation around that age.”

“She was twenty three.” corrected Zian.

“Only four years younger than you.”

“But still younger, but I guess that doesn’t matter. Korra tells me that I am limitless.”

“Then listen to Korra more.”

“And she says to listen to you more.” laughed Zian.

“Don't listen to her too much much... I’ll let you go now. Tell Tashi to call me back.”

Zian laughed. “If I ever find her. She’s been flying Kiki all day long and just disappeared into the sun after she handed me the phone. Something is wrong, she doesn’t want to leave the air.”

“Exactly why I want you to tell her to call me back.” replied Jinora.

“I will. Goodbye Jinora.”

“Bye Zian.”

Just as Zian went back inside he saw Tashi land gracefully on the ground next to him. Tashi saw the look on the Avatar’s face and turned in the opposite direction but Zian had shifted the ground beneath her feet to come towards him. Then to make sure she did not leave, Zian created quick sand to allow the air bender to be locked in place at her knees by hardening the ground. 

“Was that really necessary?” asked Tashi.

“You were going to fly off if I didn’t.”

“Let me out.”

“Your mother told me to tell you to call her. I’m the Avatar, not a messenger.”

“She could have just spiritually projected herself like all the other times.” grumbled Tashi.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong! I don’t answer her call one time because you were busy getting captured-”

“I didn’t get captured. I gave myself willingly as a sign of peace and it worked because the bandits sat down with me.” intertuped Zian.

“We had to save you, that means you got captured. I miss one call and all of sudden something is wrong. It’s crazy!” huffed Tashi.

“You’re never angry and the yelling usually means you're angry.”

They stared at each other in silence until Tashi spoke. “It’s Nima.”

“Oh.” Zian took her out of the ground since she did give him an answer. One that he did not want of course.

“We’re going on eight years in a couple of days and I just miss her. I’m angry that she left without me, I’m angry that she hasn’t spoken to any of us, and I’m angry that it’s been eight years with no explanation.”

“I am too but we had to move on. We had duties-”

“I know and I understand. Aid the Avatar, reach spiritual enlightenment, and learn about the four nations because either my children or myself are going to teach the next Avatar.” Tashi was annoyed with the speech. How many times had to heard it growing up?

“You mean Dechen’s kids are going to teach my next life. I don’t plan on dying young. I have too much to do, too much to fix. Besides the idea of you having kids is just as foreign as me having kids and I don’t plan on it.”

“You’d be the first in a long time.” 

“What?”

“The first Avatar to not have kids in a long time.”

“Not that long… maybe since Avatar Kyoshi?” wondered Zian.

“Avatar Kyoshi had a daughter.” corrected Tashi.

"Huh."

"At least that's what we're told."

“Then Kuruk then but he died young and his fiance's face was stolen before that so I guess he had an excuse the others didn’t.”

“How’s Korra?” asked Tashi.

“She’s been telling me about some of her trips. The ones dealing with the spirits in the Southern Water Tribe. It’s nice to see her at peace, you know? That smile always seems to be passed on no matter what.”

“Have you told her about your trips into the spirit world?”

“Not yet. I don’t want to get her hopes up. I can’t just say ‘ _Hey I know you lost your past lives but I’m trying to get them back_ ’ to her. I know it hurts her more than she lets on after Unalaq. It would hurt me and since we’re almost one and the same…” Zian let Tashi fill in the blanks about the Avatar.

“She deserves to know. Or at least, she can maybe help you. Books can only take you so far. The great Master Jinora once said ‘Y _ou cannot fix thing in one lifetime-_ '

“I know, my next life will fix what I failed to do.”

“You interrupted me.” glared Tashi.

“And you interrupted me earlier!”

“Wanna go inside now? I can make some fire noodles.”

“Food always makes things better,” said Zian.

“Bolin was always right about that one.” smiled Tashi.

* * *

Firelord Iroh had grown up on the adventures of his grandfather Firelord Zuko and friends. He had heard about the creation of metal bending, the introduction of blood bending, the dangerous invention of lightning redirection, and now the rediscovery of glass bending. It should have been obvious who was the mystery criminal but it was much easier to look the other way on such a thing.

People did seem to forget his age on things. His grandfather Zuko had his mother, Izumi when he was in his late twenties. She had been the second child born in what Sokka had called ‘ _Team Avatar_ ’. Aang and Katara had gotten married and had Bumi soon after, but his grandparents enjoyed some years married before having Izumi. Then his mother had gotten married and had him in her early twenties.

That meant he was largely older than the rest of Team Avatar’s grandchildren. Spirits, he was only eight years younger than Suyin, the youngest daughter of Toph Beifong who in turn was the youngest of the group. So he had years spent with Suyin, Lin, Kya, Bumi, and Tenzin when they were young. He was twenty one, barely in the United Forces when Aang had died. He lived through the eras of Aang, Korra, and now Zian.

His grandfather, mother, and now him had always been close friends and allies to the Avatar, the Air Nation, the Water Tribes, and the Beifongs. Well aware of the atrocious history the Fire Nation had committed after Avatar Roku’s death, the Fire Nation he ruled was a stark contrast to that. He should have said something since Nima had already possessed lava bending, but pointing such a large accusation of a missing woman and the granddaughter of Suyin Beifong would have strained the friendships his grandfather betrayed his own family for.

As he stared at pieces of glass, Zian had been talking with one of the Fire Nation soldiers and Firelord Iroh smiled. He smiled because this was more than likely the last creation of new bending that he got to see in his lifetime. He was nearing his eightieth birthday and planned to abdicate in the next couple of years. His grandfather and mother had both abdicated around the same age, his mother sooner because she knew she was sick and didn’t have long.

He just wanted to wait and see if this glass bender was going to reveal themself before doing so. It would be cruel to let his son deal with this mess. And over the years, the glass bender had been getting sloppier so it was only a matter of time before their identity would be revealed.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Iroh turned his head to see Zian standing to his right. “Very, especially when the sun hits it in just the right spot.”

“The first glass bender in over 300 years. No matter how many hours I spend looking at it, I can't believe it’s real.”

“I understand the feeling. My grandfather used to tell me stories about Toph’s metal bending in the early days and the first time he had seen Master Katara blood bend during the war. He said his heart felt like it stopped and he forgot to breathe sometimes.”

“Would he feel the same about glass bending?”

“Most definitely although I think he would focus more on the beauty of it.”

“Beauty hides the danger so it can be turned into weapons. What can truly stop it?” asked Zian.

“Fire made it, fire can destroy it.”

“Glass is destructible. Enough force can break it.”

“Glass is destructible but there are different types of glass.” argued Iroh.

“What is this?” asked Zian looking at the rock on the other table beside them.

“Volcanic rocks taken from the north.” He meant the Northern Fire Nation since the nation was just a set of volcanic islands called Fire Islands.

“And these?” Zian pointed to the left side of the table where the rocks were slightly different in color. 

“Those are also volcanic rocks but they were found near the glass. A short explanation is they were simply the little pieces that never became glass during the attack.”

Zian reached for them realizing as they floated in the air, that he could bend them. “Weird.”

“They are still rock and you can bend this rock as you can still bend coal.” replied Iroh.

“But I can’t bend glass. I can’t move it… I just need to concentrate more, right?”

“Perhaps but I am not an earth bender so my advice would be limited. What is glass than just hot sand formed by the bender?”

“But that would mean this person is a lava bender and there are only two in the world publicly.”

Iroh had thought about that. “A fire bender and an earth bender could be working together, or just a fire bender.”

Neither had wanted to say it outloud, that maybe this was all Nima and while part of it was relieving because it meant she was still alive, it was also concerning. “A powerful fire bender I suppose.” and they left it at that, not wanting to get into dangerous territory.

* * *

In Zaofu, Suyin Beifong entertained her grandson, Prince Panuk of the Northern Water Tribe and her first great-grandchild who was currently only a couple months old. “Grandma Su, she’s barely eating.”

“Just give her time. You are worrying and babies can pick up on that.” replied Suyin.

“I told him I was the same way.” spoke Huan.

“Huan was such a quiet baby. Never got out of that phase.” said Suyin.

“Was I the same way?” asked Atuat.

“You barely cried because you wanted to hear the wind every night.”

“Really?” asked Atuat. That didn’t sound like her at all.

“Once you could water bend you turned into your uncle Bolin.” said Eska.

Most of the Beifongs gathered in the metal city to meet the future Chief of the Northern Water Tribe. Already a couple months old, Panuk delayed introducing his large family to his daughter because he had been grieving. His wife Akna had died in front of him at the hands of a mad man, days after hearing about the death of Bataar Sr. Panuk’s daughter was born amongst death and grief.

Already so worried, Panuk could not bear to leave his daughter alone for more than a couple of hours. When the anxiety became too much, Huan suggested going to Zaofu to Suyin to help ease Panuk. The metal matriarch raised five children of her own and could help quench Panuk’s worry and so far it had been working. 

He would not listen to his parents, who were famously quiet amongst strangers and even family members. Panuk and his sister were the opposite but never understood why people thought their parents to be boring and brooding when in reality they were quite the opposite. Eska had a sense of humor and a caring heart. Huan was kind, encouraging, and had an eye for talent the normal eye would simply dismiss. 

Eska was responsible for so many women learning to fight in the Northern Water Tribe, a previous taboo. If the Chief, a women, fought for her nation, then why couldn't any woman do the same? Huan had transformed many of the buildings in the North and helped usher in a great period for the arts. Those were the people who raised Panuk, not these cold images people forced on him. 

Prince Panuk relaxed and got some much needed rest in Zaofu, until Suyin got reports of an unknown woman with a child requesting to see the family.  “What is it?” asked Lin.

“A woman is requesting to meet with me.”

The door came open and a soldier came rushing in and whispered to Suyin and then Lin. Everyone else in the room was looking at their faces, seeing the shock and confusion. The soldier left the room and while the door closed, it opened a couple of seconds later. Dressed in all black, stood a young woman holding the hand of a small child. 

"Who are you?" asked Lin.

"I'm Nima."  The room was confused. The woman that stood before them was a complete stranger. "I'm Nima Beifong."

"Who are you?" asked Suyin.

"I'm your granddaughter."

"Prove it." said Atuat.

"That night by the water you said that you missed going to the North because you liked watching me struggle."

Of course there was the initial shock and the confusion was still there but Atuat running across the room was clearly disapproved by the family by the looks on their faces. “Nima!” smiled Atuat.

"Atuat!" yelled Lin.

Atuat had shamefully stepped back. The woman looked to Lin next. "Koh told me I'm going to hold the world in my arms as it dies." That was enough to convince Lin. Nima's journey into the spirit world was known within the family but that detail of Koh was only known to even fewer people. 

Lin got up and hugged her. "Nima."

"I asked you if you loved Tenzin because you wanted to protect the Air Nation and your love for Aang. You said no. I asked because I thought I loved Zian for that same reason. To protect him because of this family sacrifices." whispered Nima.

"I get it. Your Nima." said Lin as she pulled away from their hug.

"I wanted you to be sure."

The earth bender looked happy to be surrounded by her family again but the little girl had retreated behind her. The poor girl was gripping the ends of Nima shirt in fear of all the new people.

The room remained silent before Suyin had gotten up from her seat and brought Nima into a hug. Then the eighty-nine year old bent down as much as she could and greeted the girl. “Hello, what is your name?”

“This is Samaya.” Nima gestured to her right side.

“Your daughter?” asked Lin.

“Yes.” answered Nima.

“We should let Nima talk.” announced Atuat as she looked at her mother. Eska gave a look to Huan who then grabbed his granddaughter Osha from Panuk’s arms and began to lead her family out the door. They were followed by Baatar Jr and Wei. In the corner and the last to leave, Nima saw her siblings Ping, his wife Choden holding a baby in her arms, Ru and Palden who had remained quiet the entire time. The only one she did not see was Wangchuk but he had been the first one of his siblings out using his cousins as cover.

“Glad to see you are alive.” said Lin.

“Glad to be alive.” replied Nima.

“You were gone for eight years. I was ready to send half of Zaofu to find you only to have Lin explain that you can glass bend and you are going around killing members of the Red Lotus. What were you thinking?!” scolded Suyin.

“And still somehow found time to have two children.” laughed Lin.

“Two?” asked Nima with such hope, neither Lin or Suyin were expecting her to be happy about another child.

“Surely you can feel it? You’re having another child.” asked Lin. Nima did not know. While still holding her daughter’s hand, Nima dragged their intertwined hands over her stomach. It pained her to know she would have another child but this one would not know their father. 

“We have to call everyone to tell them you are safe here in Zaofu.” said Suyin.

“Can we wait a little on that? Samaya is already overwhelmed and I don’t want to ambush even more with dozens of more people.” 

"We must worn them about your face change.” replied Lin.

"Yes." agreed Nima.

"I'm assuming you went to the Mother of Faces."

"I need to disappear which is difficult when I am a Beifong."

"Do... do you plan on changing back?" asked Su.

"I'm not sure."

"But it is an option, right?"

“Samaya, this is grandma Su and aunt Lin.” said Nima as she brought her forward but it took some convincing. “Remember what I talked about?” Samaya had nodded.

“How old is she?” asked Suyin.

“Samaya just turned five.”

“Opal almost named you Samaya but you were born on a very hot day so Bolin suggested Nima, for the sun.” smiled Suyin.

“I always loved the name Samaya… also, there is a reason I came back.” started Nima.

“Let me get Atuat to come get Samaya.” smiled Suyin.

Nima mentally prepared herself as her cousin came in and talked with her daughter before the two of them walked off. Once Atuat had shown Samaya her water bending, the young girl had done her best to mimic the Water Tribe Princess and was more than happy to leave so she could learn more.

“Explain yourself and leave nothing out.”

“I went after Red Lotus members, met a man, accidentally got pregnant, he’s dead now, and now I’m here.” explained Nima as short as possible.

“Such a life.” pointed out Lin.

“Emphasis on the ‘accidentally got pregnant’. At least the first time.”

“Start again from the beginning. What really happened and do not leave out any details.” demanded Suyin in slight anger at Nima’s sarcasticness the first time.

“I went into the spirit world and talked to Koh the face stealer and then proceeded to tell me that I was going to hold the world in my arms as it lay dying. It was Zian. Zian was the person I was going to hold in my arms as he lay dying. So I decided that I needed to protect him and it meant going after the Red Lotus, the blood supremacists and anyone else that would hurt Zian.” started Nima.

“And Koh said Zian’s name?” asked Suyin.

“No-”

“So you went on a killing spree for nothing.” interrupted Lin.

“No it wasn’t for nothing. Zian is the man I love, he is my world. Zian is also the Avatar he is meant to keep the balance in the world. It ties back to him either way.”

“Does it?” asked Lin. 

Suyin wanted to object to her granddaughter's carelessness but needed to hear more. “You left, what happened next?”

“I was alone for most of the beginning. I met with a family who were members of the Red Lotus and befriended their son to get to them. I thought he would be my way in and I was right but he never wanted to be a part of it. He was born into everything and he wanted out so we teamed up to end as many of them as possible and leave.”

“And you feel in love with him.” stated Suyin.

“I tried to, we both did, but we learned we loved Samaya more than we could ever love each other. It was all an accident, we were both aching for a life that we wanted and it just happened. Samaya was born and we were happy for a time. I wanted to continue what I was doing. He convinced me to try for another child but I said no. Then about a year ago we started trying for a second. I grew up with four other siblings, he grew up with a sister, and we thought it would be cruel to let her grow up alone, especially knowing that he and I could die.”

“Could die at any moment and leave her an orphan.” clarified Lin.

Nima hung her head down in shame. “Yes but a sibling would mean she would never be alone in the world.”

Lin wanted to remind Nima of Ru and the pressure she felt in helping raise four younger siblings or even Nima’s own upbringing. But Samaya would be orphaned alongside murderers, thieves, and rapists. The older woman also wanted to remind her that Samaya had a family, a very large family, and possibly admit that she was angry because Nima held this secret for over five years. Samaya could have been raised in a large family with almost half a dozen cousins in a much safer and loving environment. Instead the young girl was raised in danger and alone as her parents continued on their risky life. But she didn't and Lin would possibly regret that for the rest of her life.

“What was his name?” asked Suyin.

“What happened to him?” asked Lin. 

“His name was Yuka. He left us about three months ago to track some Red Lotus members recruiting children in the Earth Nation but he never came back and he’s never left us for that long. We agreed that should this ever happen we leave after three months and find safety. I tried to wait a little longer but Samaya, she’s a water bender and I tried my best to help her but she deserved better than an earth bender.” explained Nima.

“Lots of trying I hear.” said Lin unamused.

“Oh Nima.” Suyin brought her granddaughter into a hug.

“Samaya has barely shown signs of water bending but she is a fast learner, faster than I expected.”

Lin had rolled her eyes at her sister’s reaction to such disobedience until she stared at Nima’s hand on Suyin’s back. She pushed her sister aside and grabbed Nima’s hands noticing the deep scars. “Are these-?” 

Lin couldn’t finish her question but Nima understood what she was trying to say. “Yes. There were so few healers.”

“He couldn’t heal?”

“He could, he just wasn’t there all the time. By the time he could heal me, I already had so many scars that even he couldn’t fix… no matter how hard he tried.” Nima was looking straight at Lin the entire time. It had been a discussion when Nima was little about where Lin got the scar from and the rift that followed after between mother and daughter and sisters. Now that Nima was sporting her own scars, Lin could not help but wince at the idea that Nima was growing to be just like her, an idea she hoped would end with her.

“Are you sure he is dead?” asked Lin.

“There is no other explanation. It was three months and then leave. No looking back, no hesitation.” answered Nima.

“I’m going to call Opal and Bolin and the rest of the family now.” announced Suyin.

When Lin and Nima were the only ones in the room Lin left out a big sigh. “Nima what have you done?”

“It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Things just got out of hand.”

“You should have said something! You should have reached out like we agreed.” scolded Lin.

“I wasn’t in any danger. I mean things got out of hand with Yuka and then having kids.”

“What do you think is going to happen once the rest of the family finds out exactly what you’ve been doing? What do you think is going to happen with the leaders of the world find out you were the one who killed all those people? You made a spectacle of your killings!”

“I did my best! I tried to cover my tracks but things got too difficult. People saw, the rumors spread faster than I realized, and I had to protect myself and my child. I let people indulge in their fears knowing I would die for what I had done in the name of justice.”

“Again with saying ‘ _you tried_ ’.” started Lin.

“That was all I could do! I no longer had my name or my standing. People didn’t gawk at me in the streets or turned their heads when I entered a room because I was no longer Nima Beifong. I was no longer special in their eyes, I was simply another woman, another earth bender. Before Samaya and now this baby, the only thing I had to keep me going was my love for Zian and my family legacy, both of which I protected the best I could.”

“Even after all these years, after everything it has done to you, you want to protect the family legacy? Why? Who were you really protecting?” Lin was desperate.

“Toph and Sokka and Mako! Everyone who has died, everyone who has given up everything to protect and serve the Avatar! We lay our life down! Sokka and uncle Mako did it. You did! I did it too!” yelled Nima.

Lin was taken back by the statement and then confused. She could see the fear in Nima’s face knowing she left out a secret. Ultimately, it would have to be another secret Lin was to keep from the rest of the family for Nima’s sake. How many more would she have to keep for the granddaughter she never had? “Did you die?” Lin needed clarification.

“Yes.” cried Nima. Her shoulder slumped down and she was no longer on the defense. “A fire bender shot lighting at me.” Nima pulled down her shirt to show the scar on her chest. “And a fire bender shot little bits of lightning to keep my heart beating until a healer from the Northern Water Tribe could keep me alive after that.”

Lin mimicked the same posture as Nima to show her she wasn’t angry. It was no longer about anger but love. “Legacies are difficult, whether we chose to accept or deny them. Forget our name, forget the legacy that was put on you, and just be you. You are so much more than what you offer to their legacy Nima. You are allowed to be your own person and do your own thing. What do you want to do?” asked Lin.

“I want to protect Zian, it’s what I’ve always wanted.” answered Nima.

“At what cost? The scars that mark your body, your fatherless children, or the early death you are sending yourself in?”

“I love him. I love them.” 

Lin wasn’t sure who ‘them’ was and truthfully neither did Nima. Was it her family or was it the people born a hundred years ago and had long been dead? “And yet every chance you have to be by his side and protect him you have run away citing love as the reason. Zian is no longer the simple boy you left at Air Temple Island.”

“I…” Nima was at a loss for words. There was no answer, no explanation left for Nima. Lin was right.

“Surely you didn’t think you would come back, explain yourself and not suffer any consequences? You will answer to everybody. You will be brought before several courts should the leaders of the world deem it the only option.”

“I know I will. I knew the risk in coming here. Samaya is a water bender… please make sure aunt Eska and Atuat teach her. I only want the best for her.” smiled Nima. Lin had a sudden realization. “What is it?” panicked Nima.

“I wish Su would have said something earlier but you deserve to know. Baatar died last year.”

Nima’s chest started to feel tight and the tears started quickly. “No, no, no.”

Lin tried to give Nima a hug but the young woman could not bear to be touched. “Nima it’s okay.”

“No! No it’s not okay. He died and I wasn’t here. I wasn’t - I wasn’t.”

Lin had to continue and left Nima grieve all at once for what she had lost and for who she never got to know, for all that this family had lost. “Panuk married about two years ago and his wife gave birth days after Baatar’s death. A water bender attacked Panuk and Atuat. He could bloodbend and during the fighting, his wife was killed. Zian killed the man but he couldn’t save her.”

“I - I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” cried Nima.

“You were gone for eight years Nima. You missed so much because you chose to run away from your family instead of letting them help you.”

“There was no helping me. We have been far beyond that point for many years now.” replied Nima.

“You decided whether you want help. You dug yourself into this hole and now you are suffocating. You have no one to blame but yourself.” Lin was right and that’s why Nima stormed off to find her daughter again. 

* * *

Suyin and Lin took charge when explaining to the family what Nima had done. Perhaps the most angry was Palden and she was not afraid to speak her mind, “You hated Ru for leaving and you hated Wangchuk and Ping for doing the exact same thing two years later. Then you go ahead and leave for eight years without a word! I saw what the worrying did to you and you saw what it did to me but you didn’t care if you brought that pain to everyone else. Did you?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? That’s all you have to say?!”

“That’s all I can say.”

“No! You could admit how selfish you are. It’s always been about you since we were kids. You go off on your little vigilante trip for eight years and you probably didn’t even care how it would be on any of us, did you?!” yelled Palden.

“I’m sorry.” repeated Nima.

“And you allowed half of us to keep your glass bending a secret! Do you understand how selfish that is? You let them lie to everyone and worry as you went up against the Red Lotus!”

“I’m sorry.” that was the third time she said that.

“You should have never come back. We were better off thinking you were dead!”

“Palden! That is enough.” yelled Bolin.

“Oh go ahead and defend her! You’ve done it our entire life.”

“I have not-” started Bolin.

“You chose Nima because you were both lava benders and mom chose Ru because she was an air bender and the oldest. While we’re admitting our wrongdoings you two should do the same.” argued Palden. Bolin and Opal stared at each other thinking they did not ignore their children. 

“She’s not wrong.” interjected Ping.

“I did not choose Ru and your father did not choose Nima.” stated Opal.

“You did, you both did. Wangchuk, Palden and I were always the outsiders.” replied Ping.

Opal was hurt. There was a time Opal was a non-bender and her mother brought in Kuvira. She was a child and she was hurt that her mother would do such a thing and Opal felt like a disappointment. Suyin said Kuvira was like a second daughter but Opal believed her mother thought of Kuvira as the daughter she really wanted, a metal bender who she could take pride in. Now hearing her children confess those same feelings, Opal felt horrible. “You are not outsiders.” 

“I was an air bender but Ru liked to read and you liked to read. She was also the oldest so she took care of us whenever you all left so you just trusted her with everything. If you wanted us to do something or to ask us how we were, you just went through Ru and when she left, you just stopped asking all together.” explained Wangchuk.

“I’m a metal bender but Nima was a lava bender and dad wanted to teach her everything he knew. Uncle Wei taught me metal bending. If he didn’t you would have never. It didn’t even matter that I left at 14 and got married a month later. I could do anything and no one would care… nobody did care.” added Ping as he grabbed his wife’s hand and kissed her knuckles to let her know his marriage wasn’t to grab his family’s attention, but because he loved her. Coincidentally, on their three year anniversary they fought about this exact topic.

“I was a child taking care of the four of you and worried that I was going to have to raise you all alone. I was always so scared but I was angry because I never had the chance to just be a child. I had to take care of you four and I hated every time one of you was born. I thought mom and dad were selfish because they left you all with me as they risked their lives to save the world with Korra.” confessed Ru.

“I am a non-bender in a family of benders. I have the Beifong name so people assume I am an earth bender. I had to deal with disappointment on their faces when I tell them I can’t. But I know my worth and I don’t have to be a bender to achieve great things, that’s why I joined the Kyoshi Warriors.”

“Everyone has their own issues. Some choose to work through them and others choose to run away from them.” said Lin, the last part being a jab at Nima.

“I never wanted to create this.” said Nima, gesturing to the room.

“This family could write a book about a thousand ways to mess with your child.” joked Wangchuk but the room was too tense to laugh. “Rough room.”

* * *

The trial of Nima Beifong was a highly publicized world event. Every newspaper was reporting from the very beginning and everyone wanted to be in the courtroom on the first day. Of course, the leaders of the four nations were there and they were all related to Nima or the Beifongs maintained a strong friendship with them for generations. 

“By executive order of President Hang this special tribunal is now in session.” The room bursted into whispers. “You stand accused of war crimes. In the past eight years you have murdered citizens of the four nations and in the United Republic of Nations. Your crimes include the murder of three hundred and twenty-one civilians, destroying property, performing a perfidy, and breeching borders of the four nation to commit murder. How do you plead?”

“Guilty.” The room busted into whispers again.

“I would like to speak on behalf of the accused.” announced Zian.

“Avatar Zian, we ask that you repeat your statement.”

“I would like to speak on behalf of the accused, Nima Beifong.” Nima wanted to correct Zian and possibly the whole courtroom by saying she was not a Beifong but she doubted any of them would listen. 

The most surprising witness for Nima was Zian. The courtroom was on the edge of their seats wondering what the Avatar and former lover of the great Nima Beifong had to say. “Proceed Avatar Zian.”

“The Red Lotus attempted to kidnap Avatar Korra, my past life when she was just a child. Nima’s great-grandfather Chief Sokka and General Suki laid down their life that day. The Red Lotus poisoned Korra years later and the Beifongs were there to save the Avatar. Nima grew up knowing that she had to protect the Avatar, protect me, and possibly my next life when the time would come. The Red Lotus posed a serious threat and rather than wait for them to come after me and attempt to end my life, she went after them because that is what the Beifongs have always done. The means were not lawful but we can look back at the great Toph Beifong, the inventor of metal bending and the wanted posters she gathered in her early years while aiding Avatar Aang in ending The Hundred Year War. Nima did unspeakable things but we cannot ignore that she wanted to save the Avatar in the end. When the Avatar needed help, the Beifongs were ready to lay down their life at whatever cost.”

Suyin stood up. “Should the court allow it, Nima will be under house arrest in Zaofu. My granddaughter has a daughter and is currently with her second child.” No one outside the family was aware of Nima being pregnant. The room erupted once again but this time no one could whisper at the news. Gaps and loud unnecessary comments about Nima being like her great-grandmother Toph in regards to being an unwed mother of two were being made much to the annoyance of everyone who knew Nima.

“With all do respect Sifu Beifong, your granddaughter is a master earth bender, one of a handful of lava benders, and currently the only glass bender in the world. To allow her to leave Zaofu would mean a high probability that she can use her bending to escape. She shows that she can abide law enforcement and experience to live another life.”

“Nima can be under house arrest in the Northern Water Tribe.” said Eska.

The members of the court whispered to each other for a minute before another one of them spoke. “Nima Beifong will be under house arrest in a prison in the ocean where Ghazan of the Red Lotus were kept for nearly a decade.”

Opal stood up. “She is having a baby! Surely you don’t expect her to give birth in a wood cell?!” 

The court whispered to each other again. “Nima Beifong will be kept there until she is ready to give birth. After the child is born, she will return and the child will be given to the grandparents.”

The Beifong family were furious. Opal and Bolin gathered Nima into their arms as Eska and Huan began talking with the leaders of the other nations. While President Hang was in the second year of her first term she would not be lenient on Nima. Eska was Co-Chief of the Northern Water Tribe and Nima’s aunt. Wing, Nima’s uncle, was married to Firelord Iroh’s sister Princess Ursa and his sons Crown Prince Lu Ten and Prince Zuko were always fond of Nima since they were children.

The current Chief of the Southern Water Tribe was Enya Sato, only daughter and youngest child of Avatar Korra and Asami Sato. Chief Enya had succeeded her grandfather in 208AG after his death. Tonraq was always reluctant to have his grandchildren become chief because it would mean they would be away from Republic City and away from Asami. After Korra’s death, it had been the last thing he wanted.

But his grandchildren were grown. Enya was twenty five when she became Chief. While Yasuko was the oldest of the two, he had said that Enya would be a far better ruler than he. The elders spoke and named Enya their leader which the young woman was more than happy to accept. It had meant decreasing her role in Future Industries, but she did it with no objection to honor her mother, grandfather, and Water Tribe ancestry.

Tonraq had been fond and grateful for the Beifongs even without considering the countless times their family risked their lives for him and Korra. Tonraq’s niece always spoke highly of Nima, and the water bender liked so few people, so it spoke to Nima’s personality. Enya was close in age to Nima but it was their parents' friendship that people remembered. Asami, Korra, Opal and Bolin were the best of friends and had risked their lives a number of times for the sake of the world.

Enya, despite growing up in Republic City, had spent most of her time in the lab trying to find her ways to improve what the world had to offer. It had always been about innovation and that did not change once she was Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. She and her brother had always kept to themselves and their notebook filled with childhood inventions and dreams. That was why Enya and Yasuko had naturally gravitated towards Varrick and Zhu Li’s kids, Ila and Malik who were close to their age and to Ru who had a natural talent of remembering everything she read in books. 

It was evitable that Enya would have a soft spot for Nima. Then there was the Air Nation, who had looked to Jinora as their leaders. Jinora and Kai were best friends with Opal and Bolin since they were teenagers. They had raised their children together and Jinora helped deliver all of Opal’s children on Air Temple Island with the Acolytes. 

Rather than Opal’s children being born in Zaofu, she chose the island because there was a chance her children would be air benders. They would be born on the island Aang had made his home and where the first air bender in over a hundred years, Tenzin was born. Tenzin’s children were all born on the island so Opal paid tribute to the family but it also symbolized the rebirth of the Air Nation.

So it came to a surprise when Jinora condemned Nima’s actions publicly. Jinora did not recognize the young girl she helped raise. Kai, understanding where Nima was coming from, said a few words about doing unsplicable things in the name of love but it was not enough. He even went as far as to point out that Nima was not an air bender and despite Opal being one, she had far more Earth Nation ancestry and the stubbornness and brashness attributed to their benders.

Tashi, Nima’s best friend growing up, had sided with her mother agreeing that Nima did not help Zian or anyone, instead she endangered everyone around her and was careless in her actions. Kai, born in the Earth Nation and with a natural stubbornness, stood by the Beifongs showing the world where he stood while still holding onto his wife’s hand. When he told his wife, he would have done the same thing Nima had done, Jinora had reminded him that he already had. 

Preparing to be shipped off to a prison, Nima was met with the face of her younger sister rather than a member of the White Lotus. Before she could even get a word in, Palden confessed, “My entire life I have seen the disappointment of random strangers when they find out I can’t bend. No earthbending, no air, water, or fire like almost everyone in this family and it was hard, especially for any child to go through that but even more because I knew the family legacy. Now I’m content with being a non-bender and it's because of you.”

“Palden-”

“When we were younger I hated you. I hated how easy earth bending came to you and I hated how much praise you got from everyone around us but you hated it and it made me hate you even more. Then Ru left, then Wangchuk and Ping two years later, and you picked up the pieces without a word but nobody praised you for it. I finally saw the cracks you tried to cover up and the pain it caused you when you would sneak off to the water with Zian and just sit there… sometimes I would see you cry, the only times I had ever seen you cry really. You never wanted the family legacy to fall on just your shoulders but it did because every adult in our life thought they were helping you with all the praise when in reality, they were destroying you.”

“You said I was selfish.”

“You are selfish in a lot of things. Like when you disappeared and thought no one would care. When you put your life in danger over and over for love. But you are also selfless in so many others and I know it sounds contradicting but it's complicated and you are complicated. You took it upon yourself to do what no one else wanted and it destroyed you.” 

“Did it? Did it destroy me?” asked Nima.

“It did. The moment you and Zian went your separate way everyone should have seen the damage they had done. You were never the same and when you threw yourself off a column before uncle Wei saved you, should have been the first clue that something was wrong. But this family just brushed it aside.”

“No, I have to take responsibility for what I did. I took things into my own hands and ignored the law. I should have…” but Nima wasn’t sure what to say next.

“You would think after eight years perhaps you would change, but you are just as lost as when you were seventeen.”

Nima thought about fighting back and telling Palden what was wrong but she couldn’t. Instead of being angry, Nima looked for what she lost. “How are you? Eight years, a lot has changed hasn’t it?”

“I was injured about three years back and discharged from the Kyoshi Warriors. I went back as a trainer since I know benders weaknesses. It was a perk growing up, I knew how to slow you all down.” smiled Palden.

“How did it happen?”

“Bandits in the Earth Nation. I was crushed and literally broke my back. My partner healed me, that's the reason I’m here today.”

“Partner as in…”

“Romantically but it was not like that at first. After the accident we had to face that there were feelings between us.” smiled Palden.

“Where are they?”

“Still a Kyoshi Warrior.”

“I should have been there.” Not about the accident but life in general.

“I wish you were but… I don’t want to dwell on it. As mad as you made me for leaving and putting yourself in so much danger I can’t stay mad at you and it's the truth. You were always there for me, never letting me feel sorry for myself and always encouraging me to be the best I can be.” confessed Palden.

“Tell me more about you. What else have you been doing?” 

Palden wanted to say more but she looked back at the door. “I’ve already been in here too long. We didn’t have much time to begin with and there is still someone else who wants to speak with you.”

“Who is it?” asked Nima.

Palden ignored her question and continued on. “We are going to do whatever we can to get you out of that prison. Just give us a little bit of time and we will get you to Zaofu. Okay?” Nima nodded as Palden gave her a hug. “Everyone wanted to say their goodbyes but they only allowed one family member in here.”

There was no goodbye, only a smile from the two women before the door was closed. There were a couple of minutes where Nima was left alone. When the door slowly opened, Nima peeked her head to see Zian hesitating to come in.

“I would not mind if you don’t want to see me.”

Zian went wide eyed before shaking his head. “No, no, I just… I wasn’t sure you wanted to see me.”

“I do.”

“Great… good.” Zian closed the door and took a seat next to Nima. “I couldn’t look for you myself.” he confessed to start the conversation.

“You’re the Avatar.” Nima knew better.

“I sent Arnaq and Rinchen around the world looking for you. I had to call them back because I needed them more than I needed to find you.”

“That was a smart thing to do.” said Nima, agreeing with the decision.

Nima was giving him nothing so he continued on spilling his emotions in fear he would never get to say them again. “Eight years, you were gone for eight years and I still love you as if I was still sixteen and we were still living on Air Temple Island.”

Nima could see the hurt in his eyes. She had wanted to spare him the details of her life during those years she was gone but her mother told the courtroom she already had a daughter and another child on the way. It was only a matter of time before it would be sprawled across the newspapers and talked about on the radio and television. “His name was Yuka. He is the father of this baby and Samaya, my daughter. We liked each enough to have two kids but the whole situation made me realize that I have only ever loved you.”

“Where is he?” asked Zian.

“Dead. That’s why I came back. Samaya is five and a water bender. She deserved to be taught by Atuat and aunt Eska.”

“If you did love me, you wouldn’t have left… you wouldn’t have someone else’s children.” Zian was a little angry and he shouldn’t have said anything, but after so many years worrying, he was surprised he didn’t say worse.

For years, Nima had debated ever telling Zian why she did it and what happened in the spirit world. About four years ago she came to terms that it would be better for everyone, especially Zian, if she never said a thing. But now, watching the anger, regret, and love on his face, that decision was reversed. “Almost nine years ago I went into the spirit world and ended up meeting with Koh the face stealer. I was told I was going to hold the world in my arms as it lay dying and in my grief I was going to birth the world's savior. You are the world in this future so I decided that I needed to protect you, just as I was told I was going to do my whole life. I went after the Red Lotus, the Blood Supremacists, and anyone else who would come after you.”

Zian looked at Nima’s hands, the ones who while she was talking did not stop fidgeting around and he noticed the scars. “I did this.”

Nima took her hands from underneath his grip and put them on top. She gave him a gentle squeeze. “You didn’t.”

“I did. You got these because of me, because you decided you needed to protect me but you don’t.”

“I do Zian because as you risk your life as the Avatar every day, someone has to do it for you.” smiled Nima.

“I already have that. I have your family, the Air Nation, Niko, Arnaq, Rinchen, and the White Lotus.”

“But they wait, they have always waited until you're in danger and I can’t do that. I can’t wait until you are at death’s door to do something Zian.”

“You don’t need to protect me.”

“Somebody has to do the things everyone else will not. Someone has to do the bad things to keep you safe.” 

“And what about me? Don’t I have a say in all of this?” asked Zian.

“No.”

“I should. I love you, don’t you think I should have a say in whether you risk your life for me? What about your family? Your children? Don’t you think they have a say in this too?” asked Zian.

“It’s my life.”

“What about our lives after you are gone? Have you thought about that? Do you honestly think that everyone is going to be okay if you die? I can tell you know that I wouldn’t. I would never be the same if you died because of me.” There was so much more Zian wanted to say but they had such little time. 

“And I would never be the same if you died because I failed to protect you. I love you but the world needs you Zian, it needs you to live more than it needs me.”  The Avatar. It always came down to that. 

“Is it because you love me or because of your family duty to protect the Avatar?”

“It’s both, it’s always been both. I feel in love with Zian, the tall green eyed boy who would sit with me by the waters whenever I was angry or overwhelmed. The same boy who would braid the ends of my hair whenever he was upset. Do you remember what you said when I asked you why you did that?”

“I said it felt warm and familiar. I liked sitting in the sun with you and the feeling of your hair. It was so black that it was always so warm… no matter what happened and where I went, it was familiar. You were like another home.” 

Tears fell down Nima’s cheek as she continued on. “I also fell in love with the Avatar because you are one and the same. You are the Avatar but your whole world doesn’t need to be centered around it, it needs to be centered around Zian. My family has protected and loved the Avatar for generations. My uncle Mako died to protect you and my great-grandfather Sokka died to protect Korra.” explained Nima.

“And you are going to die protecting me or my next life?” asked Zian already knowing the answer but he was just so angry anything coming out of his mouth this point was empty.

“I don’t plan on it but Zian… I love you, I do. Being gone for eight years, besides my family, you were the one I thought about the most. I would dream about coming home and running into your arms. I have never felt more at peace, more like myself than when you hold me and I remember how we would sit by the water and tell each other about our day. I wanted that back so much.” cried Nima.

“We are not children anymore Nima. We both craved that simpleness but we’re adults now and we have responsibilities now. Eight years have gone by but do you understand that we are not the same, not anymore. You let the weight of your legacy destroy you, I embraced it.”

Zian opened the door to let the White Lotus in. Two guards grabbed Nima’s arms and escorted her out. Suyin and Lin immediately objected to Nima being manhandled which the guards then let her go. The Beifongs lined up and watched as the greatest earth bender was escorted to a prison, where no one besides the White Lotus were going to reach her. Zian watched as leaders of the world bowed their heads to signal their respect for Nima and what she had done. 

At the end of the line was Nima’s daughter, Samaya holding Atuat’s hand. There were no words exchanged, just a red eyed Nima giving her daughter a hug. The young girl had little idea what was truly happening. As she let her daughter go Nima grabbed onto Atuat’s hand. Again no words were exchanged just two nods and everyone knew what it meant. _Take care of my daughter_.


End file.
